Percutaneous catheter drainage is a minimally invasive procedure used in the management of hepatobiliary and abdominal conditions. Patients with an indwelling catheter require adequate self-care skills for catheter management, symptom monitoring, medication adherence, nutrition and hydration, and prevention of complications. A quantitative quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control-group pretest–post-test design was adopted. Eighty patients undergoing percutaneous catheter drainage were selected through purposive sampling and allocated using a computergenerated random allocation sequence into experimental (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Data were collected using the Structured Self-Care Ability Assessment Scale and Barthel Index. The experimental group received an individualised structured self-care intervention, while the control group received routine hospital care. Posttest assessment was conducted on the day 7. The experimental group demonstrated a substantial improvement in self-care ability, with the mean score increasing from 55.20±6.10 at pre-test to 78.85±6.85 at post-test. The mean activities of daily living score increased from 58.60±6.50 to 83.75±6.40. In comparison, only minimal changes were observed in the control group. Post-test comparison demonstrated significantly higher self-care ability and activities of daily living scores in the experimental group than in the control group. The structured self-care intervention was effective in improving self-care ability and activities of daily living among patients undergoing PCD. Incorporating structured self-care education into routine nursing care may support functional independence and promote recovery among patients with PCD.