Welcoming Home the Patient with a New Ostomy

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Limited inpatient hospital length-of-stay postostomy (5-day average) restricts patient and family ostomy self-care education.
• Premature discharge, poor care coordination, and inadequate follow-up are linked to ostomy patient readmissions.
• Home care nurses face challenges including failed handoffs, resource limitations, and knowledge deficits impacting ostomy care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an evolving community standard for nursing care of patients with new ostomies.
• To highlight the importance of expert education for healthcare professionals managing ostomy patients.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on factors contributing to ostomy patient readmissions.
• Identification of an evolving community standard by the Baltimore Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) Nursing Affiliate.
• Emphasis on ongoing education from WOC nurse experts.

Main Results:

• A 5-day average inpatient length-of-stay is insufficient for ostomy self-care education.
• Key factors for readmission include premature discharge and poor care coordination.
• WOC nurse expertise is vital for educating case managers, discharge planners, and home care nurses.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced education and support are necessary for effective ostomy self-care and discharge.
• Establishing community standards in ostomy nursing improves patient outcomes.
• Collaboration between WOC nurses and other healthcare professionals is essential for safe ostomy management.