Urinary catheter use in end of life care.

Patients nearing the end of life can become agitated by a full bladder and may need urgent urinary catheterisation. However, urethral catheterisation needs authorisation by a doctor. Nurses at a London trust developed a urinary catheterisation consent form permitting nurses to perform this procedure when it becomes necessary without having to gain medical authorisation. This article discusses how the consent form can help improve bladder management, ensuring terminally ill patients do not have to attend the emergency department to be catheterised.