Ostomy: Care and Management

A tool to assist with comparing your organization’s current practice with evidence-based RNAO best practice recommendations.

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2022) Gap Analysis-Ostomy Care and Management. Toronto. ON

This open textbook chapter discusses the types of ostomies and ostomy appliances, reviews physical and emotional assessments, provides checklists with steps for changing ostomy and urostomy appliances, with photographs, and discusses safety considerations. Included is a video on evidence-based research on ostomy care and a video on illiostomy and urostomy care.

Web Address or Source: https://opentextbc.ca/clinicalskills/chapter/10-6-ostomies/  

If you are an instructor who is using this book for a course, please let us know. For more information about this project, please contact opentext@bccampus.ca.

Disclaimer The field of health care is constantly changing and evolving. Procedures and policies in schools and health care agencies will change in accordance with research and practice. This resource will require updates to remain in accordance with these changes, but the authors do not assume responsibility for these updates. Health care professionals must ensure that they have a strong foundation of knowledge in medical conditions and surgical procedures related to clinical skills and techniques before using this resource to guide their practice. Health care professionals should always put agency policy above the information in this resource and be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others. Any health care professional using this resource should do so in the appropriate environment and under the supervision of other relevant health care professionals, in accordance with their governing professional body and within their scope of practice. It is the responsibility of any health care professionals using this book to take all appropriate safety precautions and to determine best practice unique to the patient and the context of the situation. The authors do not assume responsibility for any injury or damage to persons or property pertaining to the use of the material and information in this resource.

Hollister Education has developed an online course in Ostomy Care that offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to learn more about this specialized area of care. There are a total of five lessons that may be viewed in any order, with an assessment at the conclusion of each lesson. Topics include:

• Lesson 1: Ostomy overview
• Lesson 2: Pouching systems
• Lesson 3: Ostomy accessories
• Lesson 4: Problem solving
• Lesson 5: Education and resources

Each lesson contains a glossary of terms and reference resources.

Web Address or Source: http://www.hollister.ca/en-ca/ostomycare/ostomycareprofessionalresources/hollisterostomycareelearning  

Intellectual Property:

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This article on the Wound Care Advisor website provides clear and concise instructions for documenting the condition of ostomies. It reviews what to assess in an ostomy: general characteristics; stoma; effluent; peristomal skin; appliance and accessories; etc.

Reference: Wound Care Advisor. 2016. Ostomy-Documentation-Tips. Accessed Aug. 22, 2017 at https://woundcareadvisor.com/ostomy-documentation-tips/

Copyright: Information in Apple Bites is courtesy of the Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI), © 2016. Apple Bites, Ostomy2016 Journal Vol5 No6, clinical journal, ostomy, tips, wound infections

This information from the Colostomy Association in Britain provides practical suggestions for the most common stoma problems such as Ballooning; Constipation/Diarrhoea; Odour; Pancaking; etc.

Web Address: Colostomy Association. 2017. Stoma Problems. Accessed Aug. 22, 2017 at: http://www.colostomyassociation.org.uk/index.php?p=201&pp=3&page=Problematic%20Stomas

Reference: Colostomy Association. 2017. Stoma Problems. Accessed Aug. 22, 2017 at:  http://www.colostomyuk.org/information/stoma-problems/