Quality of Life in Patients with Permanent Colostomies: A Challenge to Nursing Roles

Abstract

A permanent colostomy results in a permanent change in the structure and
function of defecation, as the patient’s stools are passed out through a stoma instead of
the rectum. Such a change affects the patient’s quality of life and often leads to physical,
psychological, and social problems. Nevertheless, if the patient successfully adapts to
life with a permanent colostomy, s/he can live happily with the stoma.
Therefore, a new challenge for a nurse caring for a patient with a colostomy is to
enable him/her to live a normal life, or as close to a normal life as possible, with the
new stoma. This article proposes a new type of permanent stoma, its effects on the
patient’s quality of life, and the role of nurses in promoting better quality of life in a
patient with this new stoma. The main expected outcome is that nurses will be able to
take proper care of colostomy patients and their caregivers, empowering them to
improve their quality of life.