Urinal Assistance

Key Points

• Position resident for comfort and mobility status before urinal use.
• Keep urinal level to prevent leakage.
• Measure urine at eye level and document quantity and characteristics.

Equipment

• Gloves
• Urinal
• Barrier

Procedure Steps

1. Complete routine pre-procedure actions and don gloves.
2. Assist resident into preferred safe position (seated, lying, or standing).
3. Place urinal with penis well within opening and keep urinal level while voiding.
4. Use washcloth around rim if needed for comfort/skin protection.
5. Provide privacy during voiding.
6. Place barrier on flat surface and place urinal on barrier.
7. Read amount at eye level and observe color, clarity, sediment, and odor.
8. Empty urinal into toilet, rinse, and empty rinse water.
9. Store urinal, remove gloves, perform hand hygiene, and complete post-procedure safety checks with urine output documentation and reporting of skin issues or changes.

Common Errors

• Tilting urinal during voiding → causes skin/clothing contamination risk.
• Skipping output measurement/characteristics → misses clinical deterioration cues.
• Inadequate privacy → reduces dignity and may inhibit voiding.

Related

• bedpan-assistance - Alternative for residents unable to use urinal safely.
• emptying-catheter-drainage-bag - Similar urine-assessment documentation approach.