Choosing the evidence for catheter care
NMC OSCE practice station
Evidence-based practice · 1 min to read · 10 min to perform
A written station. Free to try, no sign-up.
The task
You are a registered nurse on a urology ward. A new colleague asks whether all patients with a urinary catheter should have their meatus cleaned with an antiseptic solution every day. Three pieces of evidence are in the folder. In the response sheet, say which evidence you would rely on and why, and which you would not. Then say what you would advise your colleague to do and what else matters in catheter care.
What this station tests
- Look at both the design and the size of the evidence: a review of randomised trials usually outweighs a small uncontrolled audit.
- A before-and-after audit with other changes cannot show that one measure caused the difference.
- Advertising material is not evidence; check for data, references and a commercial interest.
- Keep catheter days as short as possible; the best prevention is not needing the catheter.
- Hand hygiene and a closed system matter more than antiseptic cleaning.
Sources for the clinical content
- NICE CG139: Healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care
- NICE QS61: Infection prevention and control
- CASP UK: Critical appraisal checklists
- NMC: The Code
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.