Our lives - differing personas

Our lives –Differing personas.

What is a typical day for people living with a stoma? How does it affect their everyday lives? These questions are not always easy to answer and the responses can vary considerably, depending on a myriad of variables such as personalities, lifestyle and environment and many other social situations that we all face throughout daily life.
This day in the life study was able to give us an insight into what is really happening and helped us gain a more detailed understanding of what experiences an individual living with a stoma encounters. The study unearths how a stoma can impact on an individuals’ physical, psychological and social wellbeing, demonstrating how they adapted to new challenges and environment.

Aims
The purpose of this small research study was to identify any concurrent themes that occur with people living with a stoma and how having a stoma can impact on their everyday life.

Method
Semi structured interviews with 6 individuals living with a stoma.The interviews were conducted in patients own home to promote their ease and foster a feeling of well being. 

Conclusion
This small research study identified some concurrent themes people living with a stoma experience and highlights how investing time discussing day to day aspects with patients enriches our knowledge as stoma care nurses thus improving care for our patients.