A Different way to Pee… Clair Foster & Bernie Kelly Paediatric Unit NRH

AIM To introduce a child friendly educational poster to the paediatric unit. ● To initiate SIC education to school aged children. ● To promote awareness of urinary tract infection prevention.

Objective ● To design a poster as a visual aid, aimed at school aged children,to provide a fundamental understanding of the urinary tract system. ● To highlight, using drawings and simple text, the signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection. ● To instil at a young age an understanding of and responsibility for gaining SIC independence

SIC involves the periodic drainage of urine from the bladder by the patient (Haynes 1994). Children as young as six years old have been successfully taught SIC (Edwards et el 2004). SIC can be of benefit physically and psychologically, enabling the child to feel more in control of their body, providing more privacy and freedom, and increasing self-esteem (McLaughlin et al. 1996)

Catheter acquired urinary tract infections interfere greatly with a child’s health status which may lead to secondary urological complications and subsequently disrupt the rehabilitation process. Wyndaele 2002 documented that a cohort of 252 children whom required SIC, over a one year period, 24.5% developed UTI, 58.6% of whom were symptomatic.

● It is hoped that by initiating education and empowering children at an early age to perform their own bladder care and detect the early signs of urinary tracts infections, that infection rates could be vastly reduced. ● By facilitating children to actively participate in their bladder care, it is believed individual self- esteem and body image perceptions can be elevated. Conclusion Add text here