Foley Catheter
Foley catheters are flexible tubes that are inserted into the bladder through the urethra in order to drain urine. A physicians order must be in place before inserting the catheter and it is a good idea to have this verified before insertion. Before inserting the catheter, make sure it is sterile so you will not cause infection. Most hospitals have a device that holds the catheter in Place in order to reduce the risk of accidentally removing it and to allow the patient to stand without fear of removing it by accident.
Instances in which Foley catheters are used on patients are when they are being sedated for surgery, a patient in which their urine flow is cut off resulting from a large prostate, patients with acute urinary retention, and on patients due to physical injury or they are unable to use standard urinals. A Foley catheter is intended for those patients who are not able to get out of bed due to surgery. It is very important to educate the patient about the assertion of the catheter and patient report any symptoms that they may have due to the catheter insertion to the nurse.