The Stoma Care Department is located in the Outpatients Department. The room is shared with the Diabetes Nurse Specialist. The post is a joint post between Portiuncula Hospital and Roscommon County Hospital for nineteen and half-hours per week in each hospital. The working day is from 9am to 5pm.
An on-call service is provided during lunch hour.
“Undergoing surgery for construction of a stoma is a major life event the effects of such operations on emotional, sexual and work-life can be profound.”(Kelly and Henry1992)
The principle of stomal therapy nursing is a combination of clinical care, counselling, education and patient advocacy creatively structured by the practitioner to meet the short – extended and long-term needs of patients and families often until the time of the patient’s death.
Function
- To provide support pre and postoperatively for the patient with a stoma and his/her family.
- To provide a high-quality service to patients who have or may have a stoma thus enabling them to regain a level of independence.
- To educate and advise other nurses and the wider multidisciplinary team involved in the care of patients with a stoma to provide holistic care.
- To provide close co-ordination between the hospital, community and all support services for the benefit of patients.
- To provide a resource for all staff, patients and carers.
- The stoma nurse specialist is professionally accountable for implementing policies, procedures and standards of care, which will influence the quality of stoma care delivered.
People Involved
- outpatient staff
- surgical ward staff
- surgeons and surgical team
- nursing administration
- dietitian
- pharmacy
- stores personnel
- switchboard personnel
Community Involvement:
The Nuse Specialist is involved with the following:
- Manufacturing Dietitian companies
- Social services
- Voluntary Organizations
- Relatives and carers
- Medical staff
- Pharmacies
- Nursing staff
- Dietitian
Services Provided:
- I provide immediate pre and post-operative care. Families have the opportunity to be involved in the care with the patient’s permission.
- All patients will be given an individual appointment.
- A walk-in service is available should this be necessary.
- A helpline is available during the working day.
- Purchasing advice on stoma therapy products.
- Short education sessions are given on the wards at a mutually convenient time.
- Talks are given in the classroom for student nurses, nurse’s aides and Back to Nursing personnel.
- Resource folders are in place on the wards for easy access of information when dealing with stoma care problems in my absence. This will ensure continuity of care for the patient.
- Link nurses are identified on all wards and departments who work with stoma patients. The group meets with the nurse specialist on a two-monthly basis. As well as discussing problems a talk is given by other clinical nurse specialists pertaining to this group of patients care.
- Advice is given on the use of voluntary organizations.
- At present, I am the facilitator of the local voluntary group who meet two monthly. I was involved in the drawing up and the distribution of the groups’ brochure.
Guidelines:
A booklet on standards of care will be issued in 2005 from the Irish Stoma Care Nurses Association. At present, a draft of the standards is in place in the resource folders.
Drawing up of Guidelines on Colostomy irrigation. At present, an audit of the service is being conducted.
‘‘Stoma Care Nurses are key players in the management of stoma patients. They are the first point of contact for the patient and provide the education and support that stoma patients need to adjust to their new situation.’’(Black, 2000).
For further information please contact:
Stoma Care Nurse Specialist,
Portiuncula Hospital,
Ballinasloe,
Co. Galway.
Telephone: 090 96 48362
Ext.No.: 362
Bleep No.: 820
MobileNo.: 086 3628726.
