Objective To develop a scheme for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) based on project management method, and evaluate its application effect on the prevention and control of CAUTI in patients with indwelling urinary catheters in the medical intensive care unit (MICU). Methods A total of 153 patients with indwelling urinary catheters admitted to the MICU of a hospital were selected for analysis. Patients from July 2021 to March 2022 were set as the control group (n=78), adopting routine nursing methods. Patients from July to December 2022 were set as the intervention group (n=75), and intervened with nursing measures of project management. Catheterization days, length of hospital stay, and incidence of CAUTI between two groups of patients were compared. Difference in the main indicators of patients with brought catheters and those receiving catheters in this department in the intervention group during three quality cycles was compared. Results The duration of indwelling urinary catheters in the intervention group was shorter than that in the control group ([9.51±2.57] days vs [11.10±2.82] days), with a statistically significant difference (t=8.207, P=0.038). There was no statistically significant difference in the length of hospital stay between two groups of patients (P>0.365). In terms of catheterization days of patients, those in the second quality cycle was shorter than in the first quality cycle, and those in the third quality cycle was shorter than in the second quality cycle, both with statistically significant differences (both P < 0.05). The overall incidence of CAUTI in patients with indwelling catheters in the intervention group was shorter than that of the control group(20.00% vs 24.36%), with statistically significant differences (χ²=6.937, P=0.026). Catheterization days between patients with brought catheters and those receiving catheters in this department were statistically significantly different both in the first and second quality cycles (both P < 0.05). The incidences of CAUTI between patients with brought catheters and those receiving catheters in this department were significantly different in the intervention group, as well as in the first and second quality cycles, respectively (all P < 0.05). Conclusion The application of project management method can reduce the incidence of CAUTI and catheterization duration of patients with indwelling urinary catheters in MICU, and improve the nursing quality of the entire process of indwelling catheters.