Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills: A Nursing Process Approach

249

Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:
A Nursing Process Approach, 3rd edition

Name Date

Unit Position

Instructor/Evaluator: Position

SKILL 12-4

Assessing Bladder Volume Using an

Ultrasound Bladder Scanner

Goal:The volume of urine in the bladder is accurately

measured. Comments

1. Review the patient’s chart for any limitations in physical
   activity.


2. Bring the bladder scanner and other necessary equipment
   to the bedside.


3. Perform hand hygiene and put on PPE, if indicated.


4. Identify the patient.


5. Close curtains around bed and close the door to the room,
   if possible. Discuss the procedure with the patient and
   assess the patient’s ability to assist with the procedure, as
   well as personal hygiene preferences.


6. Adjust the bed to a comfortable working height; usually
   elbow height of the caregiver (VISN 8 Patient Safety Cen-
   ter, 2009). Place the patient in a supine position. Drape
   patient. Stand on the patient’s right side if you are right-
   handed, patient’s left side if you are left-handed.


7. Put on clean gloves.


8. Press the ON button. Wait until the device warms up.
   Press the SCAN button to turn on the scanning screen.


9. Press the appropriate gender button. The appropriate icon
   for male or female will appear on the screen.


10. Clean the scanner head with the appropriate cleaner.
    11.Gently palpate the patient’s symphysis pubis. Place a gen-
    erous amount of ultrasound gel or gel pad midline on the
    patient’s abdomen, about 1 to 1.5 inches above the symph-
    ysis pubis (anterior midline junction of pubic bones).
    12.Place the scanner head on the gel or gel pad, with the
    directional icon on the scanner head toward the patient’s
    head. Aim the scanner head toward the bladder (point the
    scanner head slightly downward toward the coccyx)
    (Patraca, 2005). Press and release the scan button.


11. Observe the image on the scanner screen. Adjust the scan-
    ner head to center the bladder image on the crossbars.


12. Press and hold the DONE button until it beeps. Read the
    volume measurement on the screen. Print the results, if
    required, by pressing PRINT.

Copyright © 2011 by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:

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