Sustainability interventions in nursing wards
Verpleegkundig handelen
Clean intermittent catheterisation
Since July 2024, bladder catheterisation may be performed using the new ‘no-touch technique’. In this method, non-sterile gloves are used, and the genital area is cleaned with tap water. This more sustainable approach requires fewer sterile materials and saves time, as the procedure can be performed by a single nurse. With this intervention, nurses put the new guideline into practice.
Intervention
Perform bladder catheterization using the no-touch technique instead of sterile catheterization.
Environmental impact
Measured in CO₂ emissions, based on the reduced use of environmentally harmful materials in bladder catheterization.
Implementation approach
Refer to the approach for implementing a different method in nursing practice and consult the step-by-step guide for more information on setting goals, implementation, and evaluation.
When is it implemented?
This intervention is implemented when each nursing unit in the hospital uses the clean catheterization guideline and the kg of CO2-equivalent has been calculated.
How this is measured?
Determine the number of bladder catheterizations per year using purchasing data for insertion sets or individual catheters (when sets are not used). Analyze the purchasing data from the previous year and calculate how many insertion sets or catheters were purchased over the course of a year for the nursing units. Fill in the environmental impact calculation tool*.
If not all nursing units have adopted the new method, follow the "measuring intervention with purchasing data" procedure.
Resources
click here for the Radboudumc infographic where they implemented this intervention and saved 2151 kg of waste per year.
click here for a display from the Green OR about the difference in materials between clean catheterization and sterile catheterization.
click here for an information poster published by V&VN.
click here for the bladder catheterization guideline, module 2 insertion.
Footnotes
* The environmental impact calculator follows
- Samenwerkingsverband Richtlijnen Infectiepreventie. (Juli 2024). Richtlijn Blaaskatheterisatie.
Resultaten
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View our other interventions
Nursing interventions
Using tap water for wound care
For acute wounds (traumatic or surgical), irrigation using a female catheter filled with lukewarm tap water is recommended instead of NaCl 0.9%. This increases patient comfort and reduces material use, as a new sterile NaCl 0.9% bottle or sterile collection tray is no longer needed every 24 hours.
General resources
Reducing glove use
Nurses use large quantities of non-sterile gloves during patient care. There are three situations where gloves are required: 1) when caring for patients in isolation 2) when there is a risk of contact with mucous membranes or bodily fluids 3) when preparing certain medications. Wearing gloves as a standard practice is not recommended1. Due to the high consumption rates in hospitals, gloves have a considerable environmental impact2.
