The Lived Experience of Jordanian Persons With a Stoma: A Qualitative Study.

Individuals may live with an intestinal stoma either temporarily or for the rest of their lives. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of Jordanian persons living with a stoma. Qualitative design was employed via semistructured interviews with 22 Muslim participants who had an intestinal stoma. Thematic analysis of the transcripts resulted in 3 main themes. The first core theme was stoma burden, which represented difficulties and challenges resulting from the creation of a stoma. This theme was divided into 4 subthemes: physical, self-care, social, and psychological burdens. The second theme was the adaptation to a stoma, whereas the third theme was suggestions for healthcare providers to decrease stoma burden. Conclusively, these themes conveyed that the presence of supportive family members and qualified healthcare providers can decrease the burden of a stoma. Generally, persons with a stoma (ostomates) experienced stoma-related physical, social, psychological, and financial burdens. Therefore, ostomates were in need of training, psychosocial therapy, and more follow-ups to prevent and treat stoma complications and adapt to living easily with the stoma.