Our Team of Ostomy Nurse Specialists

Nurses Certified in Ostomy Care

The ostomy care nurses at the University of Chicago Medicine are advanced practice nurses certified in ostomy care. We can provide education for adults before and after ostomy surgery. We also problem-solve with patients who encounter difficulties with their pouching system or stoma.

The opportunity to establish a relationship with an ostomy nurse is a unique service. Once an ostomy patient is discharged from the hospital, our nurses will see the patient in our outpatient stoma clinic on an ongoing basis. We manage all patients who have their stoma surgery at UChicago Medicine, but we also see patients who had their surgery at an outside hospital. Patients do not need to have a UChicago Medicine physician to make an appointment with a nurse at the ostomy clinic.

What care can nurses provide at an ostomy clinic visit?

The services that the ostomy nurses can provide include:

• Pre-operative education and stoma site marking
• Pouching system fitting
• Assessment of inability to maintain a seal on the ostomy pouching system for a prolonged period of time
• Assessment of peristomal skin issues (redness, itchiness, etc.)
• Introduction to different pouching systems
• Stoma assessment, if there is a problem with the appearance of the stoma
• Development of problem-solving plans
• General assistance with stoma problems (such as leakage irritated skin, change in stoma appearance, etc.)

What do patients need to bring when they come to the ostomy clinic?

• Bring a list of any ostomy related questions to facilitate the discussion.
• Bring one complete ostomy pouching system change to allow the ostomy nurse to see all of your pouching system items.
• Consider how many times in a day you empty your pouch and how many days you currently wear your pouching system.

This information will be useful for the ostomy nurse as she assesses your progress.