Course detail
Catheter Care Awareness
This theory-based course provides practical urinary catheter care awareness for carers, senior carers, nurses and other adult health and social care staff in England. It explains why urinary catheters are used, different catheter types, person-centred support, infection prevention, drainage-system care, hydration, constipation, urine observation, catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), common catheter problems, escalation, record keeping and role boundaries. It is designed for care homes, domiciliary care, supported living and other CQC-regulated adult social care services.
Topics
35
Duration
1.9h
Quiz pass mark
100%
Course structure
Learning path
Topics are completed in order before the final assessment unlocks.
Course Description
1. Introduction: catheter care and why it matters
2. Legal and regulatory framework
3. Understanding the urinary system and catheter purpose
4. Types of urinary catheter and drainage options
5. Clinical indications, alternatives and regular review
6. Dignity, privacy, consent and person-centred care
7. Roles, responsibilities and limits of competence
8. Catheter care plans and individual risk assessment
9. Hand hygiene, PPE and standard precautions
10. Maintaining a closed drainage system
11. Positioning, securing and preventing traction
12. Daily hygiene and meatal care
13. Suprapubic catheter site awareness
14. Drainage bags: emptying, changing and night drainage
15. Catheter valves and supporting independence
16. Hydration, constipation and urine flow
17. Observing urine safely
18. Urine sampling: awareness and role boundaries
19. Understanding bacteriuria and catheter-associated UTI
20. Recognising symptomatic CAUTI and escalation
21. Urine dipsticks, cultures and antimicrobial stewardship
22. Blocked catheter and no urine drainage
23. Bypassing and leakage around the catheter
24. Blood in urine, trauma and catheter pulling
25. Bladder spasms, pain and discomfort
26. Catheter falls out or becomes displaced
27. Long-term complications and preventing avoidable harm
28. Intermittent catheterisation awareness
29. Catheter care during transfers, hospital discharge and handover
30. Care homes, domiciliary care and supported living
31. Documentation, incident reporting and safeguarding
32. Practical scenarios
33. Key learning points
References and further reading
Final quiz
Final step0 questions and 100% required to pass and receive the certificate.
