Care of patients undergoing stoma formation: what the nurse needs to know
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Care of patients undergoing stoma formation: what the nurse needs to know

Jennie Burch Head of gastrointestinal nurse education, St Mark’s Hospital, Harrow, England
Rationale and key points

This article provides an overview of the various types of abdominal stoma and surgical procedures that result in stoma formation. It outlines the enhanced recovery pathway that is used to guide postoperative care, and some of the areas that should be incorporated in postoperative stoma care. These areas include training in the practical care of the stoma and its appliance, dietary advice and reintegrating lifestyle activities. In addition, the article briefly examines stoma reversal, and explores the role of the stoma specialist nurse.

Nurses require an understanding of the various surgical procedures that might result in the formation of a stoma.

An understanding of the stoma appliances that are available is essential to enable nurses to provide effective care for patients with a newly formed stoma.

Effective postoperative care that incorporates support and education enables patients to adapt quickly to having a stoma.

Enabling patients to understand changes that occur as a result of stoma formation will increase their confidence in managing their stoma alongside the effect on their quality of life.

Nursing Standard. 31, 41, 40-45. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10177

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 07 June 2015

Accepted: 09 March 2016

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