The overall purpose of an ostomy diversion is to create an opening into the small intestines that allows a fecal diversion or drainage area. This is by means of the abdomen wall through a stoma that instead of draining out the bottom it is diverted to the abdomen and out the stoma.  Prior to having this done to a patient the healthcare team must decide if it is needed, educate the patient on the overall process, show them the equipment and care, and overall self-care. Getting this procedure is very invasive and can cause many people to become self-conscious. A large aspect as a nurse is that we must focus on the overall care of the individual patient. A patient will need emotional support, education on skin care and management of the stoma, overall appliance changes and education, and knowing when you need to contact your provider. Through this experience of having to wear an ostomy diversion for an extended period, although it wasn’t the real thing, I felt similar emotions and care around this activity. In my clinicals and work experience I have seen many stoma’s and parts of the process of care, but never imagined how the person going through this process felt until having a somewhat similar experience. This assignment is a real example of empathy and putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes and understanding the “why” they have certain emotion and need emotional care. 

Throughout this experience I had many different emotions, feelings, concerns, physical limitations, etc. When I first got it and had to place it specifically in a place that wasn’t where you stomach bends, or it is uncomfortable. This was difficult because although you don’t bend in all areas it is dependent on whether you put it up high or low, what your comfort is, but I don’t feel people having this procedure have this option. They have limited say and know it is on their stomach and could be placed in an area they don’t really want. After that it was the smell, having beans placed in the bag and having to carry that around is very personal and intimidating. I can only imagine how a patient feels with it being feces. Being self-conscious of the smell or it leaking can be something so personal and a person’s self-image can be diminished due to it. Lastly was the aspect of sleeping, I personally felt it was going to be uncomfortable and I was nervous that I would roll over on it and it would break. Thankfully none of this happened and because I wore a tighter fitting tank top that hugged it against my body, I feel it helped with the security and comfort. Overall, the experience was eye opening physically because you need to be aware of this device that hangs from your stomach. The difficulties included clothes, smell, slight skin irritation, and making sure it wouldn’t leak.

My psychological experience wasn’t anything different due to COVID and not being fully able to go out and about, as well as nursing school gives us limited time. I think the best reactions were from my family and roommates, I tried to play a part that I went to the hospital and they were all so confused and thought I was injured. But it was very interesting to explain what we were doing and experiencing. Everyone I spoke with thought it was a great activity and was something that bettered us as future nurses to fully understand what a person is going through. 

Overall, this was a great activity of learning the true ins and outs of empathy vs. sympathy, walking in the shoes of patients is a large aspect of nursing and learning to comprehend the feelings and emotions of all people is needed. Just being someone who passes medications and losing sight of the patient care is something we as future nurses need to focus in on and hope we change that. This activity allowed us to better ourselves. Although we learn so much from the books and lectures, we are quickly placed into clinicals where we may or may not get as many hands-on experiences or truly know how to develop patient care and interactions. Skills lab and these types of outside activities allows all of us to become better nurses and step away from the book learning and truly think of our patients as people.