Abstract
PURPOSE: A quality improvement project was undertaken that evaluated the results of a group inpatient ostomy education class designed to reinforce information provided by the WOC nurse. A secondary goal was to provide emotional support during the immediate postoperative period following ostomy surgery.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were inpatients undergoing fecal ostomies (ileostomies, jejunostomies, or colostomies) and their families. This project took place in an inpatient colorectal unit at the project hospital in Northeast, Ohio.
APPROACH: The Plan, Do, Check, Act process was used to guide the quality improvement. Using feedback from postoperative patients, a multidisciplinary team designed an inpatient group ostomy class with education targeting patient-identified needs. Educational content was created with feedback from postoperative patients. The 1-hour class was offered twice weekly and was facilitated by a dietician, a pharmacist, and an RN. Content included general postoperative discharge information, appliance self-care, nutrition guidelines, medications, and resources for support.
OUTCOMES: From 2016 to 2019, more than 1500 patients and family members participated in the educational offerings. During this time, length of hospital stay for ostomy patients decreased from 7.299 to 5.938 days. Readmission rates for patients undergoing fecal ostomies declined from 12.9% to a postclass rate of 11.2%. Written/verbal feedback from class attendees, physicians, and nurses was positive.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Project outcomes validated the need for a structured, ongoing inpatient, postoperative, group education for ostomy patients during the immediate postoperative period. Next steps will be to resume the class as it was paused due to COVID-19 restrictions, to continue to revise content, and to implement supplementary materials such as DVDs and online resources.