24 Hour Urine Collection

Subject summary

The 24 hour urine collection station is another which not only tests your communication skills, but potentially your knowledge base as well. The station will most likely start with you being asked to explain the procedure of 24 hour urine collection to a patient.

  1. As ever, you should start by introducing yourself and explaining why you are there – to explain about 24 hour urine collection.

  2. Start by explaining to the patient that the idea of the exercise is to collect all of the urine they pass in a 24 hour period. Tell them that they will be given a large container into which all of the urine should be collected.

  3. It is best to start the collection in the morning. Explain to the patient that as soon as they wake up they should, at first, go to the toilet as they normally would. From then on, however, whenever they need to pass urine, they should do so into the container. Impress upon them the importance that every drop of urine that they pass should go into the container.

  4. They should continue this until the next morning. Again they should go to the toilet as soon as they wake up but this time the urine should go into the container. From then on they can use the toilet as normal.

  5. The patient should return the container to the hospital on the same day; tell them that you will find out where it should be returned to.

  6. At this point it is a good idea to ask the patient to repeat back to you what you have told them to check that they fully understand what has been said. Also you should ask the patient if they have any questions.

  7. As mentioned earlier, your knowledge about urine collection may be tested. You should think of questions which may be asked about the conditions which will be tested for. Diabetes and hypertension are two particularly common areas.