Ostomy Care Education in Nursing Training: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Context: New graduate nurses often report feeling underprepared to provide ostomy care. However, no comprehensive synthesis has evaluated effective teaching methods, implementation barriers, and curriculum integration strategies for ostomy care in undergraduate nursing education to guide evidence-based reform. This systematic review synthesizes global evidence on the effectiveness of, barriers to, and facilitators of educational strategies for ostomy care in undergraduate nursing programs to inform curriculum development. Evidence Acquisition: This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and analyzed 42 studies published between 2000 and 2026. A comprehensive search was performed across several international and national electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and relevant national scientific databases. Data on pedagogical approaches, learning outcomes, and implementation factors were extracted and synthesized qualitatively. Results: Simulation-based education was consistently reported to be more effective than lecture-based methods in terms of knowledge, psychomotor skills, and self-confidence outcomes in most included studies. The primary barriers were limited curricular time, insufficient simulation resources, and inadequate faculty expertise. Successful implementation was facilitated by institutional support and longitudinal integration into the curriculum. Discussion: To ensure clinical competence, undergraduate nursing curricula should mandate structured, simulation-enhanced ostomy education. This reform requires dedicated resources, faculty development, and strategic integration of content.