This Stoma Care Awareness Course is designed for health and social care workers who support adults living with a stoma in residential care, supported living and related care settings. It provides clear, practical knowledge to help staff understand different types of stoma, recognise a person’s usual presentation and provide appropriate support within their role and competence.
This free course covers colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies, person-specific care planning, appliance changes, infection prevention, peristomal skin care, common concerns, privacy and dignity, emotional wellbeing, stock management and appropriate escalation. It emphasises that practical stoma care must follow the individual’s agreed care plan and should only be carried out by workers with the required task-specific training and assessed competence.
Why Take This eLearning Course?
People living with a stoma may need different levels of support depending on their health, confidence, established routine and individual care arrangements. Staff need enough knowledge to recognise what is normal for the person, notice changes and know when to seek further advice without making decisions outside their role.
This course will help you to:
- Understand the purpose of a stoma and recognise common stoma types.
- Recognise typical differences in stoma appearance and output.
- Follow person-specific care plans and agreed working boundaries.
- Support consent, choice, independence, privacy and dignity.
- Understand the main stages involved in changing a stoma appliance.
- Apply appropriate infection prevention principles during stoma support.
- Recognise leakage, skin damage and unexpected changes requiring review.
- Identify symptoms that may require urgent escalation.
- Support safe ordering, storage and management of stoma supplies.
- Communicate clear observations to managers and healthcare professionals.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define a stoma and explain why one may be created.
- Describe the differences between a colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy.
- Identify common features of stoma output, appearance and peristomal skin.
- Explain how care plans, training and competence guide safe stoma support.
- Describe how consent, choice and person-centred involvement apply to stoma care.
- Outline the equipment and main stages associated with an appliance change.
- Explain how clean working practices help reduce contamination.
- Recognise leakage, skin breakdown, possible prolapse and signs of bowel blockage.
- Describe how to manage stoma appliances and supplies appropriately.
- Explain when and how to seek specialist or urgent medical advice.
Stoma Care Awareness Course for Care Workers Course Outline
The course is organised into eight modules, progressing from essential stoma awareness and person-centred support through practical care principles, skin protection, emotional wellbeing, supply management and escalation. It is an awareness course and does not by itself establish competence to undertake practical stoma-care procedures.
Module 1: Understanding Stomas and Stoma Types
Learners will develop an understanding of what a stoma is, why it may be created and the terminology commonly used when discussing stoma surgery and care. The module explains the differences between colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies and considers how output may vary according to the type and location of the stoma. Learners will also explore common features of a healthy stoma, including its usual colour, moisture and individual variation, while recognising the importance of comparing observations with the person’s established baseline.
Module 2: Care Planning, Competence and Person-Centred Support
Learners will explore how the individual’s current care plan determines the support that should be provided, including agreed tasks, preferred routines, products and escalation arrangements. The module explains why practical healthcare activities require suitable training and assessed competence and reinforces the importance of working within role boundaries. It also covers consent, choice, participation and independence, alongside the need for clear, factual recording and prompt reporting of relevant changes.
Module 3: Stoma Appliances and Infection Prevention
Learners will become familiar with common equipment used during an appliance change, including prescribed pouches, disposal materials, cleaning and drying items, measuring aids and person-specific accessories. The module outlines the main stages of an appliance change, from preparation and careful removal through observation, cleaning, drying, fitting and recording. Learners will also examine clean working principles, including hand hygiene, suitable personal protective equipment, equipment handling and safe disposal, while recognising that awareness of the process does not authorise practical care.
Module 4: Recognising Stoma Problems and Urgent Concerns
Learners will examine common warning signs that may require further review, including repeated appliance leakage, poor seals, skin soreness and changes in stoma appearance. The module explains what a possible stoma prolapse may look like when compared with the person’s normal presentation and reinforces that care workers should report observations rather than independently diagnose the problem. It also considers reduced or stopped bowel-stoma output, abdominal cramps, swelling, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms that may indicate a blockage or urgent medical concern.
Module 5: Protecting Peristomal Skin
Learners will understand the characteristics of healthy peristomal skin and how its normal appearance varies between individuals. The module explores how leakage can expose the surrounding skin to faeces or urine, contributing to moisture-associated damage, soreness and difficulties with appliance adhesion. Learners will consider safe everyday measures that support skin protection, including gentle appliance removal, appropriate cleaning and drying, correct fitting and the use of only those products included in the person’s agreed care arrangements.
Module 6: Privacy, Dignity and Emotional Wellbeing
Learners will explore how to protect privacy and dignity during stoma support by obtaining consent, minimising unnecessary exposure, respecting preferred language and managing personal information and waste discreetly. The module considers possible emotional and social effects of living with a stoma, including changes in body image, relationships, confidence and social activities, without assuming that every person has the same experience. Learners will also consider practical ways to provide person-centred emotional support through careful listening, respectful responses, support for choice and appropriate referral.
Module 7: Ordering and Managing Stoma Supplies
Learners will examine how person-specific stoma appliances and accessories may be obtained through established prescription, repeat ordering and dispensing arrangements. The module explains the importance of checking deliveries, maintaining appropriate stock levels, storing products safely and keeping each person’s supplies clearly identifiable. Learners will also consider what to do when stock is running low, incorrect products arrive or an apparent product change occurs, including why unapproved substitutions should not be made without appropriate advice.
Module 8: Specialist Support and Appropriate Escalation
Learners will understand the role of specialist stoma nurses in education, appliance advice, skin assessment, stoma review and ongoing adjustment support. The module identifies concerns that may require specialist input, including recurrent leakage, persistent skin problems, unexpected changes in stoma size or shape and difficulties with established appliance routines. Learners will also follow a clear approach to checking the care plan, gathering factual observations, reporting concerns and escalating serious or rapidly worsening symptoms through the appropriate urgent medical route.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for:
- Care workers in residential care homes.
- Support workers in supported living services.
- Senior care workers and team leaders.
- Personal assistants supporting adults who live with a stoma.
- Staff who require awareness of stoma care before undertaking further task-specific training.
- Managers or supervisors responsible for supporting safe, person-centred care arrangements.
No previous specialist knowledge is required.
FAQ
Who is this stoma care awareness course suitable for?
The course is suitable for health and social care staff who support, or may support, adults living with a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. This includes workers in residential care and supported living services, as well as staff who need a clearer understanding of stoma-related care arrangements and escalation.
Do I need any previous experience?
No previous specialist stoma-care knowledge is required. The course introduces the essential terminology, principles and responsibilities needed to develop awareness. Practical stoma-care tasks may require additional task-specific training and assessed competence before a worker can undertake them.
What will I learn on this course?
You will learn about different types of stoma, expected differences in output and appearance, care plans, consent, appliances, infection prevention, skin protection, common complications, privacy and dignity, emotional support, supply management and appropriate referral or escalation.
Will this course help with day-to-day practice?
Yes. The course is designed to help workers recognise a person’s established stoma routine, make useful observations, support person-centred care and respond appropriately when something changes. It also reinforces when staff should stop and seek advice rather than attempting to resolve a problem outside their role.
Does the course cover practical stoma care skills?
The course explains equipment and the main stages associated with an appliance change so learners understand the process. It is an awareness course and does not, on its own, establish practical competence or authorisation to perform stoma-care tasks. Workers should follow workplace requirements for task-specific training and competence assessment.
Does it cover responsibilities and good practice in stoma support?
Yes. The course covers following the person’s care plan, respecting consent and choice, maintaining privacy and dignity, recording factual observations, working within competence, following infection prevention procedures and using the correct escalation route when concerns arise.
What should I do if I notice a change in a person’s stoma?
You should compare the change with the person’s usual presentation, follow their current care plan and report factual observations through the agreed route. Serious or rapidly worsening symptoms should be escalated promptly using the person’s emergency plan and local procedure rather than waiting for routine specialist advice.
How long does the course take?
The course is self-paced and usually takes around 1 hour to complete.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.
This course provides care and support staff with a practical foundation for understanding stomas and supporting people safely, respectfully and within agreed professional boundaries. It helps learners recognise important changes, communicate effectively and understand when additional clinical or specialist support is required.
Enrol now to build your understanding of stoma care awareness.
