Transitioning with an Ostomy: The Experience of Patients with Cancer Following Hospital Discharge

Abstract

The study aim was to describe the lived experience of patients with an ostomy due to cancer following hospital discharge, using a Heideggerian phenomenological lens. Colaizzi’s (1978) process guided a thematic analysis of nine unstructured interviews. The overall essence of patients’ transition experience was Adjusting to a New Way of Living. Four major themes emerged, Some Things are Different, Always on my Mind, Moving Towards Independence, and I’m Not Alone. Results suggest that the transition involves: adjusting to the ostomy and cancer; financial implications; changes in self, physical being, lifestyle, and social aspects of life; and psychological acceptance and preparation for the unexpected. Home care nurses and patients’ support network facilitated meeting their comprehensive care needs; while cancer treatments, the role of the significant other in the loss of privacy, funding inconsistencies, and temporary ostomy status were barriers. Patients need a comprehensive care approach to better facilitate the transition process.