A patient who had an ostomy placed 1 month ago states that he is feeling depressed and does not want to participate in sexual activities anymore because he is afraid that his partner is not physically attracted to him.Which nursing intervention will be most effective in helping this patient resume sexual activity?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should address the patient's need to be comfortable with his own body image; once this is done,the patient can resume sexual activity.Reassuring the patient that others manage to have sexual intercourse with an ostomy may help to decrease anxiety but may have the unintended effect of making the patient feel as though he is abnormal because he has not yet resumed sexual activity.Support groups may be helpful for the patient,but this is not the most effective intervention a nurse can provide.The patient should be discouraged from using the ostomy as an orifice for sexual activity; this can cause infection,trauma,or prolapse to the stoma.

A Patient Who Had an Ostomy Placed 1 Month Ago