Purpose

• Men use urinals to void. Plastic urinals have caps and hook-type handles. The urinal hooks to the bed rail within the man’s reach.
• The man stands to use the urinal if possible. Or he sits on the side of the bed or lies in bed to use it. Some men need support when standing. You may have to place and hold the urinal for some men.
• After voiding, the urinal cap is closed. This prevents urine spills.
• Remind men to hang urinals on bed rails and to signal after using them. Remind them not to place urinals on over-bed tables and bedside stands. These surfaces must not be contaminated with urine.
• Some beds may not have bed rails. Follow agency policy for where to place urinals.

Equipment

Roll cursor over items to see labels. For the purposes of clearly depicting the equipment, a barrier is not shown in this photo. When providing care, a barrier should always be placed on the surface before placing the equipment.

Non-skid footwear if the man will stand to void

Urinal

Delegation

• Follow delegation guidelines. Before giving the urinal, obtain this information from the nurse and care plan:
  • How the urinal is used—standing, sitting, or lying in bed
  • If help is needed to place or hold the urinal
  • If the man needs support to stand and, if yes, how many staff are needed
  • If you can leave the room or if you need to stay with the person
  • If the nurse needs to observe the urine before its disposal
  • What observations to report and record
  • When to report observations
  • What patient or resident concerns to report at once

Preparation

• Observe quality-of-life measures.
• Review the information under Delegation and Safety and Comfort.
• Provide for privacy.
• Determine if the man will stand, sit, or lie in bed.
• Practice hand hygiene.
• Put on gloves.
• Collect the equipment.

Safety

• Urine may contain microbes and blood. Follow Standard Precautions and the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard when handling urinals and their contents.
• Empty urinals promptly to prevent odors and the spread of microbes. A filled urinal spills easily, causing hazards. Also, it is an unpleasant sight and a source of odor.
• Urinals are cleaned and disinfected like bedpans.

Comfort

• You may have to place the urinal for some men. This means placing the penis in the urinal. This may embarrass both the person and you. Always act in a professional manner.

Follow-up Care

• Provide for comfort.
• Place the call light within reach.
• Raise or lower bed rails. Follow the care plan.
• Unscreen the person.
• Complete a safety check of the room.
• Follow agency policy for soiled linen.
• Practice hand hygiene.

Reporting/Recording

• Report and record your observations, including:
  • Urine amount, color, clarity, and odor
  • Presence of particles or blood in the urine
  • Cloudy urine
  • Complaints of urgency, burning, dysuria, or other problems