Introduction

To analyze nurses’ views on key challenges and desired directions of development of stoma nursing in Poland, with consideration of the role of advanced practice nursing (APN).

Material and methods

The study group consisted of 193 nurses providing care for patients with an intestinal stoma. The study used a survey method with an author-designed questionnaire and statistical analysis methods.

Results

Regarding self-assessment of their knowledge and skills in stoma nursing, nurses scored very highly, with mean values of 4.6–3.6 on a 5-point Likert scale. No statistically significant associations were found between self-assessment scores and age, educational level, years of professional experience, or completion of a specialized stoma care course (p > 0.05). In hospitals employing nurses with a dedicated stoma nurse role, patients were significantly more likely to receive preoperative education (p = 0.021) and to have a stoma site marked (p = 0.05). Up to 79.8% of respondents supported the expansion of stoma nurses’ competencies, while 70.5% had not heard of the term APN prior to participating in the study.

Conclusions

High self-assessment scores of nurses’ knowledge and skills indicate excellent qualifications and readiness to provide comprehensive care for patients with a stoma, both during the immediate perioperative period and in outpatient settings. The findings highlight the need to increase nurses’ awareness and understanding of the APN model.