| Abstrakt: |
The importance of siting a patient prior to stoma surgery (be it actual or potential) cannot be under estimated. Preparing the patient and significant others (i.e. family members, carers, and relatives) is hugely important to the outcome and optimises a good postoperative recovery. Assessing the patient, his/her abdomen, physical appearance (i.e. manual dexterity, vision), and gait (i.e. posture, spinal curves) all facilitate in highlighting potential positioning problems. This in turn allows the stoma care nurse to optimise the ideal stoma location-one that is accessible and, where possible, visible to the patient. It is important to remember that each patient is unique, and thus, the process of siting can vary from one to another; nurses should allow at least 1 hour for the completion of the task. The aim of this article is to take the nurse/nurse specialist through the act of siting in a comprehensive manner. It is hoped that this article outlines the need for preoperative assessment and, indeed, the marking of the abdomen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
