What it means
The medical word for urinating. To void is to pass urine. Nurses chart how often a client voids, how much and what it looks like. A client who has not voided for hours after surgery or after a urinary catheter is removed may have urinary retentionYUR-ih-nair-ee rih-TEN-shunBeing unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.Full entry .
For the nurse
Most clients should void within 6 to 8 hours after surgery or catheter removal; report it if they have not, and check the bladder with a scanner as ordered. Measure each void when intake and output is being tracked.
In a chart
"Client voided 350 mL clear yellow urine at 1400 after catheter removal at 0800."
At a glance
| Everyday words | peeing, urinating |
|---|---|
| Spanish | micción |
| Also written | void, voids, voided |
Related terms
intake and output
The measured record of all fluids a client takes in and all fluids that leave the body over a set time.
urinary retention
Being unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.
bladder
The hollow, stretchy organ in the lower belly that stores urine until it leaves the body.
urinate
To pass urine out of the body; to empty the bladder.