Do you have to be trained to insert a catheter?
Posted on 15th June 2022
Those searching for work in the healthcare sector will no doubt wish to understand what qualifications and training they should focus on in order to become eligible for certain roles.
While it’s true that a minimal amount of healthcare training may be suitable in some instances - such as a care home assistant working within a retirement community, not necessarily levying medical procedures but helping with the day to day care of the guests, it can be tough to know what is required of you.
However, this is essential to know not only for the scope of your current job, but in order to learn how to expand and better direct your career in the healthcare sector.
What is a catheter?
Urinary catheters are flexible tubes that allow urine to be carried out of the bladder hygienically; allowing staff to monitor the urine’s colour, volume and viscosity. This can come from a small opening made in the bottom of the stomach (supra-pubic catheter), or it can be carried directly from the bladder - this time the tube is known as a urethral catheter.
They can be tremendously helpful when a patient has difficulty with or is unable to urinate in a conventional manner. This can also serve as a worthwhile provision before and after undergoing surgery, or to help with the appropriate tests.
What types of catheters are there?
Intermittent catheters and indwelling catheters are the two main types, the former serving as temporary insertions that are removed once the bladder has been emptied, while indwelling catheters remain in place for a period of days or weeks.
The latter is considered more convenient but they can run the risk of infection. It’s also important to note that the staff responsible for inserting catheters will use anaesthetic gel in order to reduce the discomfort of the procedure.
Do you have to be trained to insert a catheter?
As the process involves an aseptic, and it requires careful attendance to get right, those who care for a loved one or wish to work in any medical capacity will need training in order to know how to insert this correctly.
It’s noted that catheter training is not solely focused on how to insert one into a patient or person you’re caring for. It will also involve managing a catheter including its various types such as urethral and supra-pubic, in order to make sure it functions well and problems can be immediately addressed.
This also means learning how to recognise infections, common problems that may cause issues, and how to properly write a risk assessment which takes into account the needs of the patient. This can be undertaken by a care assistant rather than a nurse.
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