CAUTI Prevention: Catheter Insertion and Ongoing

A catheter-associated urinary tract infection, or CAUTI, is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections and one of the most preventable. The single greatest risk factor is the presence and duration of an indwelling urinary catheter, so the most effective prevention strategy is avoiding unnecessary catheters and removing them as early as possible. The nurse is central to every part of this, from questioning whether a catheter is truly indicated to maintaining a closed system and advocating for prompt removal. The core principle is that each catheter day adds risk, so prevention is less about a single perfect insertion and more about minimizing catheter use over time. Appropriate indications, sterile insertion, closed-system maintenance, and daily necessity review form the prevention framework. Consider a case: you are the nurse caring for a stable postoperative client whose indwelling catheter was placed two days ago for monitoring and is still draining well, but the patient is now ambulating and voiding goals are met. Which action prevents infection? You advocate for catheter removal because the indication has resolved, since leaving a catheter in place...