Nursing Care for Patients After Urostomy Surgery.

When an ostomy care nurse is not available, bedside nurses must assume responsibility for providing necessary care and educating patients who undergo a urinary diversion. However, staff nurses often lack the necessary knowledge and experience to provide the best care, rehabilitation, and patient education. This article details pre- and postoperative interventions for nurses who encounter patients undergoing urostomy surgery in order to help eliminate gaps in care, increase nurses' and patients' competence and confidence, and optimize patient outcomes and quality of life.

CE: Nursing Care for Patients After Ostomy Surgery.

When patients who undergo ostomy surgery do not have access to an ostomy care nurse, staff nurses must assume responsibility for providing ostomy care and educational support. However, many staff nurses may lack the necessary knowledge and skills to provide this type of care. This article details the basics of pre- and postoperative care and patient education for nurses who encounter patients with two of the most common types of ostomy surgery of the bowel: colostomy and ileostomy.

Staff nurse confidence in their skills and knowledge and barriers to caring for patients with ostomies.

Purpose: Patients with ostomies often state that staff nurses display a lack of confidence in knowledge and skills related to ostomy care. This study examined the confidence and perceptions of barriers among hospital staff nurses when caring for ostomy patients.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study.

Discharge planning for a patient with a new ostomy: best practice for clinicians.

A comprehensive discharge plan for a patient with a new stoma is needed to ensure the individual receives the necessary ostomy education prior to discharge. The plan should include teaching basic skills and providing information about how to manage the ostomy (ie, emptying and changing the pouch, how to order supplies, available manufacturers, dietary/fluid guidelines, potential complications, medications, and managing gas and odor), assisting with transitions in care, and providing information about resources for support and assistance. The purpose of this best practice guideline is to provide clinicians with a brief overview of the essential elements that should be included in the discharge plan to facilitate patient education and the transition of care from hospital to home.

Starting and maintaining a hospital-based ostomy support group.

Ostomy surgery alters body image; this process can be distressing for patients, who must transition through a type of grieving process. Attending an ostomy support group provides an atmosphere of acceptance, a feeling of being able to cope, and mutual respect. The WOC nurse employed by an acute care facility is well positioned to facilitate such a group.