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"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy.

End of Rotation Article Review

Department of Nursing, University of Mary

NUR 355: Medical/Surgical 1

19 April 2022
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"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy.
End of Rotation Article Review

While caring for my client during the second rotation, I had a lot of questions that came

up but the biggest one was ‘what is the psychosocial effect on clients who undergo getting a

colostomy?’ As I researched through the Welder Library’s database I came across this article,

"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy. It

intrigued me because it focused on eight different people who have lived with a stoma for at

least one year. It explains how they were affected by the stoma and how it changed how they

live their lives. It was written by people in a Nursing department in 2021 and has evidence-

based practice on how the psychosocial impact of receiving a colostomy can affect a person.

The purpose of the study was to understand the experiences of patients that undergo

getting a permanent colostomy. There are three main themes that after the interviews with

patients the researchers came up with. The first was experiencing a traumatic event, the

second was living a new reality and the third was efforts to improve the quality of life. Through

each main topic they mentioned subtopics that include the following: 1. Experiencing a

traumatic event – extreme emotions, 2. Living a new reality – personal challenges and social

adjustments, and 3. Efforts to improve the quality of life – autonomy and support. Each

participant had the right to volunteer and back out of the study whenever they wanted. The

researchers met at the client’s houses to make it simpler for the client and for them to feel

more in control. According to the journal, “The presence of colostomy is associated with a

variety of complex problems, such as psychological and sexual problems, dissatisfaction with

altered body image, changes in daily routine, travel difficulties and tiredness. Factors such as

age, gender and time since treatment may have an effect on ostomy-specific quality of life;
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"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy.
End of Rotation Article Review

however, relevant literature does not provide conclusive evidence about this effect [1].”

(Stavropoulou et al., 2021)

This journal article was very interesting to me. It felt like a lot of knowledge that I was

already familiar with, but it explained in further details exactly how a patient deals and could

potentially cope with a new and permanent colostomy. I believe that this was a needed study

and that it was done in a manner to make the clients comfortable in their own area. They got

to be in control of one thing in their life that is new. The content was presented in a way that

was easy to understand and follow. The meaning of the journal was directly related to my

question, which further stated how much of a psychosocial effect having a new colostomy is on

the client.

The nursing knowledge gained from this journal will help me further when I care for a

client with another colostomy. I want to make sure I have the correct resources available, the

colostomy nurse available, time to check in with the patient, make sure family can be around if

needed for support, have a support group, and really have the patient understand their

treatment and start to accept what is new on their body. Patient care is very important during

colostomy cares, but we must take another moment out of our day to check in on the patient

because they just had a huge altering procedure done to their body that changes a lot of how

they perceive themselves. I will relate this to my future care when I have a patient with a

colostomy. I will take another moment in my day and truly watch for their nonverbals. I want

to let them know that I am here, and I can be their support through this. They have someone

on their side. We must keep a strong face when in there too. If you make a face or look away,
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"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy.
End of Rotation Article Review

that hurts the patient more. At that point someone new should step in because you are

affecting the psychosocial aspect of the patient more which will not help in their healing

process.
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"Living with a Stoma": Exploring the Lived Experience of Patients with Permanent Colostomy.
End of Rotation Article Review

Journal Article

Stavropoulou, A., Vlamakis, D., Kaba, E., Kalemikerakis, I., Polikandrioti, M., Fasoi, G.,

Vasilopoulos, G., & Kelesi, M. (2021). “Living with a stoma”: Exploring the lived experience

of patients with permanent colostomy. International Journal of Environmental Research

and Public Health, 18(16), 8512. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168512