Going Home With a Catheter Valve: Your Handover Checklist

If the nurse has just handed you catheter supplies, you may be thinking about the first bathroom trip at home. Ask to practice before leaving, especially if the explanation went faster than you could follow.

Get help before working through the list

Contact your community nurse immediately for a blocked catheter, leakage around it, severe or ongoing bladder spasms, blood in the urine, or possible infection symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, fever or shivering. In the UK, call NHS² 111 if you cannot reach the nurse.²

Before leaving: confirm and practice

• Confirm your equipment. Ask the nurse to name the valve and explain your prescribed setup. Write down who to contact if the instructions become difficult to follow.
• Get your emptying plan. The specialist nurse should explain how often to open the valve. CUH advises draining it if bladder discomfort occurs. Ask what to do if discomfort continues or urine will not drain.¹
• Try the steps with the nurse. Ask to demonstrate opening and closing the valve yourself. CUH instructs handwashing before and after handling it, draining to completion, and supporting the catheter rather than leaving it hanging.¹

If you need help with the equipment, say so during the demonstration. Ask whether someone who assists you can receive the same teaching. Request written instructions you can read comfortably.

Before bedtime: confirm the overnight setup

• Ask to see the nighttime arrangement. NHS² guidance describes connecting a larger night bag to the leg bag or valve and placing it on a stand near the floor. Have your team show you your setup.²
• Record the replacement plan. Ask when your valve and bags should be changed, where replacements come from and whom to call if supplies do not arrive.
• Save the help numbers. Put daytime and out-of-hours contacts beside the instructions, where you can find them during the first night home.

Keep the answers together

Before leaving, read the plan back: your equipment, emptying instructions, bedtime arrangement and contact numbers. Ask the nurse to correct anything you have misunderstood.

Laugh, Sneeze, Jump includes an appointment prep sheet. Use it to collect these questions and record your team’s instructions. Keep the actual catheter-care instructions with it.