Collecting a urine sample from a urinary catheter
NMC OSCE practice station
Clinical skills · 1 min to read · 8 min to perform
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Complete the record.
Ahmed SiddiquiIs this for the water test, nurse? I have felt rotten since yesterday.
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You are the nurse on a medical ward. Ahmed Siddiqui, aged 74, has a long-term urinary catheter. He has felt unwell since yesterday and his urine looks cloudy and smells unpleasant. The doctor has asked for a catheter specimen of urine. Collect the sample using aseptic non-touch technique, explaining each step to him. Say aloud and show what you do, including labelling and sending the sample. Complete the record.
What this station tests
- Take the sample from the sampling port, not the drainage bag, and keep the system closed.
- Clean the port and allow it to dry before taking the sample; never disconnect the catheter.
- Label the sample at the bedside, with the sample type, and send it promptly.
- Do not use a urine dipstick in catheterised patients. Cloudy or smelly urine alone does not prove infection; send a sample when there are symptoms, before antibiotics.
- A catheterised patient who is unwell and has a raised temperature needs observation and medical review.
Sources for the clinical content
- NICE NG113: Urinary tract infection (catheter-associated): antimicrobial prescribing
- Association for Safe Aseptic Practice: ANTT Practice Framework
- NICE CG139: Healthcare-associated infections: prevention and control in primary and community care
- NMC: The Code
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.