How to collect a clean-catch urine sample
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
A contaminated sample shows bacteria that are not really there. Teach the patient each step.
Step by step
Explain and give supplies
Sterile cup, wipes. [1]
Wash hands
Before and after. [1]
Clean
Women: separate labia, wipe front to back. Men: retract foreskin, wipe the tip. [1]
Midstream
Start urinating in the toilet, then catch the middle part in the cup. [1]
Do not touch inside
The cup or the lid. [1]
Label and send
Label at once; send within the time limit or refrigerate. [1]
Common errors
- First stream in the cup.
- Touching inside the cup.
- Delay in sending.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
- OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (CC BY 4.0)
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) and OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills, licensed under CC BY 4.0. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.