Researchers evaluated the effect of a nurse-directed urinary catheter removal protocol at a 300-bed community teaching hospital in Connecticut. The protocol was linked to the physician’s catheter insertion order and included the following:
• Physician documentation of catheter insertion criteria.
• A device-specific charting module added to physician electronic progress notes.
• Biweekly unit-specific feedback on catheter use rates and CAUTI rates in a multidisciplinary forum.
Over three years, the hospital reduced overall catheter use 50 percent and reduced CAUTIs 70 percent. However, there was a wide range in reduction between units, with the maternity unit reducing catheter use 4 percent and the telemetry unit reducing use 74 percent.
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