Postoperative education and information-giving for the individual undergoing elective ostomy surgery.

Postoperative stoma education is an essential aspect of care for all types of stoma formation because having a stoma impacts on every aspect of a person's life. This critical review of the literature explores stoma patients' needs and wants; postoperative education care guidelines; the role of ward link nurses; and care pathways. The findings from this review demonstrate that there is no national standard postoperative stoma care pathway, yet such pathways are a cost-effective means to improve patient outcomes and care. The review also identified that structured care pathways are not a new concept, but there is a lack of formal research to determine best practice in postoperative stoma education. In the UK, there is wide variation in practice and outcomes, which means that effectiveness cannot be accurately measured. The author has developed and implemented a multidisciplinary postoperative education pathway in line with a national need to further refine postoperative stoma care services to meet stoma patients' needs.