Question

A nurse is performing a straight urinary catheterization for a female client who has urinary retention. Which of the following actions indicates the nurse is maintaining sterile technique?

a. Applies sterile gloves to open catheter package
b. Wipes the labia minora in an anteroposterior direction
c. Spreads the labia with the dominant hand
d. Uses one cotton ball to wipe the right and left labia majora

Answer 1

The action that indicates the nurse is maintaining sterile technique during catheterization is wiping the labia minora in an anteroposterior direction. This minimizes the risk of contaminating the urethral area with bacteria from the perineal area.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse is performing a straight urinary catheterization for a female client with urinary retention, maintaining a sterile technique is critical to prevent infection. The action that indicates the nurse is maintaining sterile technique is b. Wipes the labia minora in an anteroposterior direction. This is because it is important to minimize the risk of introducing bacteria from the more contaminated perineal area (anterior to posterior) into the urethral area. By cleaning the labia minora from front to back, the nurse minimizes the risk of contamination from the anus area to the urethra.

Other sterile techniques involve wearing sterile gloves when opening and handling the catheter package and using separate cotton balls or sterile wipes for each side of the labia majora to prevent cross-contamination. This meticulous attention to aseptic technique is critical in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially considering the female urethra's proximity to the vagina and anus and its shorter length compared to the male urethra.