Specimen Collection: Sterile UA/ Foley (Male) A urine specimen for urinalysis may be ordered for a client who

already has an indwelling foley catheter in place. The nurse is responsible for ensuring the patients rights and dignity as well as insuring the integrity of the specimen that is delivered to the lab for assessment. To accomplish these, the nurse must ensure that she is performing the correct procedure on the correct patient. She Should provide for the patients privacy in any way possible and, make sure the patient is educated about the procedure and the importance of it. It is also important for the nurse to deliver the specimen in a timely manner, if possible. Equipment should include a 20 mL syringe with a 1 inch needle, or a 20 mL Luer-Lok syringe, depending on the type of tubing present on the patients current catheter, specimen container, clamp or rubber band, alcohol, chlorhexadine, or other disinfectant swab, and clean gloves. Assess the patients need for privacy, the amount of education that needs to be done, and level of anxiety about the procedure before performing the procedure. Inform the patient that this will require the catheter be clamped of for 30 minutes to ensure that the urine being collected is coming from the bladder. Tell the patient that although some tubing may require a needle to remove the urine from the tubing system, they should feel no discomfort. Also explain the reason the procedure is being done, for example, to check for infections or abnormalities in the urine. Explain the procedure to the patient before any actions are taken by the nurse. After this, I would proceed to clamp off the catheter tubing with a clamp or rubber band and allow it to remain this way for 30 minutes. I would explain to the patient that I would be returning to collect the specimen at the end of this time frame and provide any additional education that may be needed. After returning, I would wash my hands and properly label the specimen container. I would assist the patient, if necessary, to a position that makes the catheter easily accessible to me and then I would then put on clean gloves and continue to collect the specimen from the tubing. I would clean the port being used to collect the specimen for one minute with the disinfectant agent and allow it to dry. If using a needle, I would insert the needle at a 45 degree angle to prevent puncturing the catheters tubing, or simply screw on the Luer-Lok syringe to the port. I would then

draw up 20 mL of urine from the tubing and transfer it to sterile urine container. After securing the lid on this container, I would unclamp the catheter tubing, attach the lab requisition to the specimen, and appropriately transport the specimen to the laboratory for evaluation. This is a sterile procedure. The time, date, appearance, color, odor, and disposition upon delivery to the laboratory should be recorded and the appropriate laboratory labels should be attached. The urinary specimen should be delivered to the lab within 15 to 20 minutes of its collection and it should be refrigerated if it cannot be delivered within 2 hours. Patient education and understanding, as well as privacy are important in performing this procedure. 11. Perry, A.G., & Potter, P. A., (2010). Clinical nursing skills and techniques (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.