Exploring the lived experience of stoma surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A phenomenological study to explore the lived experience of adults who have undergone surgery resulting in an intestinal stoma.
IRAS ID
160924
Contact name
Jean Davison
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
As NHS services undergo large scale transformation it is vital to ensure evolving services are redesigned around our patients needs. It is recognised that following stoma surgery, major physical, psychological and social challenges ensue and that specialist nursing care can help people come to terms with and adapt to those changes. As services evolve it is crucial to ensure they continue to meet people's needs and as the NHS Institute (2013)urges, we need to not only engage with patients when redesigning services, but to use patient stories and experience to shape and inform our care. Existing research is mostly quantitative, through quality of life studies, which provides useful data and insights, however the proposed research is a phenomenological study which will explore and analyse in much greater depth what it means to people to have stoma surgery, in order to gain a richer understanding of what it means to have this surgery and of their needs and to shape future care and services to better meet their needs. The research will include 6 participants, recruited by purposive sampling who are over 18 years, have had stoma forming surgery in the previous 12 months, and are able to communicate their thoughts and feelings of this experience. The research will involve collection of data from 6 respondents conducted by a colorectal specialist nurse within a large NHS teaching hospital who will be collecting data as an independent researcher. Data will be gained from loosely structured interviews which will be digitally recorded and analysed using thematic phenomenological analysis as described by Cresswell,(1998)in order to elicit the meaning of the phenomena to the participants. The results and discussion will be used to inform and improve care provision locally. The research is undertaken as part of MSc dissertation.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0072
Date of REC Opinion
13 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion