The Enterostomal Therapy Nursing Education Program provides the opportunity to develop the attributes of a differentiated nurse, adopting an active role in stomal therapy, wound management and continence management. The program aims to provide students with the broad theoretical framework for the Enterostomal nurse role and the ability to competently provide comprehensive nursing care for patients who have, or are about to have stoma, fistulae, wounds or incontinence.

The contents of this course give the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to provide holistic nursing care to promote continence, effectively evaluate enterostomal therapy interventions with particular attention to the patient’s adaptation in the long term and the ability to effectively assess, manage and evaluate wounds or incontinence in a variety of health care settings.

Enterostomal Therapy Nurses (ETN’s) are specialised nurses who care for people with ostomy, wound or continence needs (WCET, 2010). As WCET said, there are lots of different titles around the world associated with this nurses; usualy they are known as, for example, Stoma Care Nurses, Stomatherapists, Stomal Therapy Nurses and Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses. Since the WCET uses the term Enterostomal Therapists as part of its name it is deemed appropriate to use this terminology.

This course is under process of recognition by the WCET; being recognised means that an ETNEP has met all the essential criteria and requirements, will have a significant focus on professional development and a focus on lifelong learning for all program participants.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the program, the Enterostomal Therapy Nurse should demonstrate:

• A differentiated knowledge base through the development of comprehensive assessment skills, and the competent provision, coordination and management of care for Enterostomal patients and their families.
• Clinical decision-making skills, using multiple modes of intervention and a collaborative approach.
• Skills to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with clients, family and/or significant others.
• Advanced critical thinking and reflection to provide comprehensive patient care based on current literature and best practice.
• Confidence and competency in undertaking the professional, ethical and social responsibilities compliant with to the enterostomal nursing role and develop their ability to facilitate nursing practice that helps to empower people to play an active role in their health care.
• Leadership and teaching skills in the clinical setting, in order to provide coaching and support for other clinicians and an overall contribution to the health care team.
• Capacity to develop monitoring protocols for the user and family.
• Capacity to encourage change and innovation processes, having into account the cultural evolution, science and technology in enterostomal nursing, through research safeguarding ethical principles.
• Capacity to participate in the definition and implementation of health policies.

Methodology

A predominantly active, interactive and collaborative methodology will be used.

Expository and theoretical method along with frequent use of contents discussion will also be used. 

The practical contents will be taught in simulation workshops.
Some classes will be taught by international speakers and those will be in English.

Evaluation

The course will be evaluated in an integrated manner, with written evaluation in each curricular unit, and a scientific article in the last part of the course.

Attendance

In classroom, with possibility of online attendance (Adobe Connect), at least 80% of the sessions.

Presence in workshops is mandatory.