I try and encourage them to have the child help as much as possible. If it’s just getting the supplies, opening up packets to clean themselves, just anything to help with the procedure to get them involved as much as possible.

Diane Manning, RN, Department of Urology

I think if you can introduce it early you have a better chance of success. I actually had a little eight year old girl who came into the clinic who was self-cathing. She was independent, and she was doing really well. Dr. Bauer asked her to talk to another patient who hadn’t quite gotten there in terms of independence – her parents still did it for her. And I think that little girl who was independent felt so good about herself afterward, because she was able to talk about it with a peer and say, “This is how you do it.” It’s building on that peer-to-peer relationship.

Rebecca Sherlock, PNP, Clinical Coordinator, Myelodysplasia Program