ObjectiveTo screen current optimal evidence for early removal of urinary catheters in patients after gastrointestinal surgery, both domestically and internationally. MethodsWe systematically searched databases, including UpToDate, British Medical Journal Best Practice, Jonna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Healthcare Center, Guidelines International Network, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Guidelines, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, European Association of Urology Nurses, cumulative index to nursing and allied health literature, Cochrane Library, ClinicalKey, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. The literature was evaluated, and the evidence was extracted and summarized. ResultsA total of 27 articles were included, comprising 3 clinical decisions, 4 guidelines, 18 systematic reviews, 1 practice recommendation, and 1 expert consensus. The 23 evidence items were classified according to the 2014 JBI Evidence-Based Healthcare System Evidence Pre-Grading and Recommendation Level System. Evidence levels: level 1 (6 items), level 2 (8 items), level 3 (1 item), level 4 (0 items), and level 5 (8 items). Recommendation grades: grade a (strong recommendation, 14 items) and grade b (weak recommendation, 9 items). ConclusionsThe high-quality evidence identified in this study regarding early urinary catheter removal can be effectively applied in the clinical management of patients after gastrointestinal surgery. However, there are few studies on this in China. These best evidence should be adaptively implemented according to the specific situation of gastrointestinal surgery in China.