My work in continence nursing: raising issues and disseminating knowledge

My first ever placement as a student nurse, in 2001, was on a urology ward. Since then I've nursed in neurological rehabilitation, working with patients with neurogenic bladders after spinal cord injury, and in neurosurgery, where I have strictly monitored patients' urine production after pituitary surgery for diabetes insipidus. Currently, I work in the nursing home setting, where poor fluid intake, decreasing renal function and advancing dementia provide new challenges to catheter care.

It soon became clear to me that there were many unknowns in continence nursing. How often should a catheter be changed? What are the benefits and harms of catheter washouts? Do silicone or silver-coated catheters help reduce infection? By writing for nursing and medical journals to make these unknowns known, my aim was to expose evidence gaps and make clear where research is urgently needed. I hoped to encourage discussion that would lead to better outcomes for patients. I also wrote for the public, in magazines, in order to address common concerns and increase understanding around continence.