Post 1 

The clinical question that will help guide my QI project is, what are the necessary prevention measures to take in order to subside the spread of Catheter-associated urinary tract infections? Changing drainage bags or indwelling catheters at predetermined intervals is not advised. Instead, clinical signs like infection, blockage, or a damaged closed system should necessitate a change in catheters and drainage bags. It is important to provide regular in-service training on the proper insertion, maintenance, and removal of urinary catheters for all healthcare workers and anyone who deals with these devices. Give them information on catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), other urinary catheter-related problems, and non-catheter-based care options.

           Having a system in place to record the patient’s reasons for requiring a catheter, the time and date of insertion, the name of the healthcare provider who performed the procedure, and the time and date of removal would be beneficial. It is proposed that for data collecting and quality improvement objectives, documentation be made available in the patient record and documented in a standard manner (Clarke & Jacob, 2020). Computerized records that can be searched electronically are the best option. More data on the effectiveness of irrigating the catheter with acidifying solutions or utilizing oral urease inhibitors should be made available to patients who are catheterized for extended periods of time and who have frequent catheter obstruction.

           The efficacy of antimicrobial/antiseptic-impregnated catheters in reducing the incidence of symptomatic UTI, whether they should be included among the major treatments, and which patient demographics would most benefit from these catheters are all questions that need to be explored in future research. Patients undergoing intermittent catheterization may benefit from the use of portable ultrasonography equipment for assessing urine volume (Kranz & Schneidewind, 2020). If ultrasonography bladder scanners are to be utilized, it is essential that their indications for use are spelled out, that the nursing staff is properly instructed on their operation, and that the equipment is well cleaned and disinfected between patients.

           Make sure that the insertion and care of aseptic catheters are performed exclusively by those who are qualified to do so (such as medical staff, family members, or the patient themself). When it comes to issues linked to catheter insertion or the catheter site, further study is required to determine whether or not suprapubic catheters are preferable to indwelling urethral catheters in some individuals needing short- or long-term catheterization.

Post 2

 After reviewing this chapter, the first thing I would do is try and figure out what is causing this issue. I would break down and gather all the statistics such as which age group is catching UTIs more often? How long have these catchers been in these patients? Are we responsibly starting urinary catheters at the appropriate time? Then I would create starting questions that end up leading to a hypothesis. In chapter 2, “Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions” by Judith Harber she states, “When you begin to critically appraise a research study considering the care the research takes when developing the research question or hypothesis; it is often representative of the overall conceptualization and design of the study” (Harber, 2018). As I start to slowly build my research up using the statistics I would then create my hypothesis based on all the information I gathered. What I would be asking is, what is the best way to prevent the increased numbers of UTI? Then I would create my hypothesis that if we provide catheter care three times a shift with mandatory logging sign in proof, then the numbers of UTts will decrease due the increase of catheter care. I know this comes off as an easy hypothesis but from personal experience, I have seen some nurses get lazy or forget that some of their patients need to have their bag emptied and checked every other hour with catheter care. If we focus on patient bathing once a day and partially clean around the catheter, there would be improvement. We need to start treating catheters like a wound to decrease the risk of infection. Hospitals will come up with a strategy to clean catheters three times a shift primarily focusing on the catheter to disinfect the bacteria around the genitalia. If we come up with a strategy for these patients, the numbers of infection will decrease.