Who’s Aware of the IDC? A patient-staff questionnaire study
Dr Gillian Ray-Barruel1,2,3, Dr Haesel Tan Li Yeen2, Mrs Angela Fergusson2, Dr Andrew Henderson2,3
1Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
2QEII Jubilee Hospital, Coopers Plains, Australia
3Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia
Introduction
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection accounts for 26.6% of hospital-acquired infections and reducing unwarranted IDC use is imperative. We aimed to assess the patient experience of having an IDC >48 hours and identify any knowledge or practice gaps in clinician awareness of IDC appropriateness.
Methods
Face-to-face questionnaires with patients and their treating healthcare providers.
Results
60 patients and 60 staff (57 nurses, 3 doctors) completed the questionnaires. Reasons for IDC included input/output monitoring, immobility, abdominal surgery, orthopaedic surgery, urinary retention, urology surgery. In total, 56 patients understood the reason for their catheter; 4 patients did not. Among staff, 53 correctly identified the reason for the catheter indication; 7 nurses were unable to state why the patient had the IDC. General patient satisfaction with the IDC was high (85%), yet 35% of patients reported persistent pain or discomfort with their IDC, but only 12% of staff were aware of this. Awareness of plans for IDC removal were reported by 29 (48%) staff and 22 (37%) patients. The majority of nurses (75%) reported they would not proactively request IDC removal as they saw it as a medical decision.
Conclusion
Indwelling urinary catheterisation can be a painful experience, but patients may not report this to healthcare providers. Awareness of the IDC indication was high among patients and staff, and patients’ general satisfaction with their IDC was high. Nurses overwhelmingly regarded IDC removal as a medical decision, which could delay timely removal.
Biography:
Gillian Ray-Barruel, RN PhD, is an experienced nurse researcher with a joint appointment as Senior Research Fellow with Griffith University and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital in Brisbane. Her internationally respected research focuses on improving assessment and decision-making by bedside clinicians to prevent indwelling device-related patient complications and improve healthcare outcomes.