Arkansas Long Term Care Administrator Practice Exam

How often should urine output be recorded for patients with an indwelling catheter?

1. Once every hour

2. Once each shift

3. Once a day

4. Once a week

The correct answer is: Once each shift

Recording urine output for patients with an indwelling catheter is generally performed once each shift for several important reasons. Monitoring urine output can help identify potential complications such as urinary retention, infection, or changes in kidney function. Shift-based recording allows for a more comprehensive assessment of a patient's fluid balance and renal function over a specified period, which is crucial for appropriate care planning and intervention. Additionally, recording urine output once each shift aligns with standard nursing practices and protocols in many healthcare facilities, ensuring that assessments are timely and reflective of the patient's current status. Making this record shifts ensures that data is readily available for the healthcare team to make necessary adjustments to treatment or care quickly. In contrast, the other options for recording frequency may not capture the changes in urine output adequately and could lead to delays in identifying potential issues. For instance, recording only once every hour may be excessive for stable patients, while daily or weekly assessments would likely miss important fluctuations and trends in a patient's health.