Urination assessment after the removal of bladder catheter using a novel urination chart

We investigated the difficulties involved in assessing post prostatectomy voiding according to 20 nurses working in urology and dermatology wards. Problems they encountered included completing a urination (frequency/volume) chart and performing an assessment. We constructed a hourly urination chart for basic nursing education in urinary incontinence. This was used for a 76-year-old male patient with hypertension and diabetes mellitus who underwent a prostatectomy. Urination was recorded for 17 consecutive days after catheter removal. Detailed pathological findings were more distinct in the hourly rather than daily recordings of voluntary micturition. Voluntary micturition appeared 12 h after catheter removal, but it was very scanty. After the onset of urination, frequency and amount of daily voluntary micturition was inversely related to incontinence during the 17 days after catheter removal. We drafted a set of urination recovery stages to enable the analysis of a patient's urination status. Nurses understood its importance and were able to reach a consensus on how to manage patients with postoperative incontinence. We have constructed a practical system for use by specialist urology nurses.