An enterostomy nurse, also known as an ET or stoma nurse, cares for patients who need a surgical procedure called an enterostomy. During an enterostomy, part of the gastrointestinal tract – typically part of the intestine – is pulled through the skin of the abdomen. This procedure creates a stoma, which is the part of the intestine that sticks out through the skin. A colostomy, ileostomy, or jejunostomy can bypass bowel blockages and allow the continued function of the gastrointestinal tract despite medical diagnoses that may otherwise cause severe illness or even death.
Enterostomies can be temporary or permanent, but no matter which, patients need copious educational and emotional support as they get used to handling both their new reality and the appliances used to collect fecal matter from their new stoma. This process can take a lot of trial and error, and ET nurses know all the tricks and tips to seal an ostomy, prevent leaks, and empty the collection device without incident.
Where Do Enterostomy Nurses Work?
Most enterostomy nurses work in hospitals, where they can monitor patients before and after surgery or manage ostomy complications. But ET nurses can also work in other settings, like:
Assisted living facilities
Clinics
Home care
Long-term care
Nursing homes
Offices of physicians
Skilled nursing facilities
Urgent care
Enterostomy nurses who work in the hospital see brand-new ostomies and understand how to manage them in this critical period of healing.
Patients live with various types of ostomies in the community, and for the majority of their time, they won’t need to be in the hospital. As a result, many ostomy nurses can work in clinics and primary care offices to check in on ostomies new and old, and continue patient education.
Home care ET nurses visit patients after they come home from the hospital and can field questions and concerns that crop up in the early days. They can also assist patients in changing their ostomy bag the first several times, and reinforce education given in the hospital.
If an enterostomy nurse works in an urgent care or clinic, they may see patients in the first stages of an ostomy complication. Their experienced eye can help patients understand what’s going on, and if they need to be seen at a higher level of care.
Ostomies can be fairly common in a geriatric living setting, so some assisted living and nursing home facilities may employ a nurse who has enterostomy experience to assist with residents’ devices.
What Does an Enterostomy Nurse Do?
New ostomies require a lot of specialized care, and enterostomy nurses can be an invaluable resource for their patients. ET nurses are responsible for typical nursing tasks like starting IVs, monitoring Foley catheters, and performing dressing changes. But their specialty tasks look more like this:
Assisting patients in choosing an ostomy appliance and medical supplies that will work best for them
Cleaning, changing, and emptying ostomy appliances
Counseling patients on necessary lifestyle changes that come with an ostomy
Educating patients and families/caregivers on ostomy care and troubleshooting
Managing post-operative pain
Performing preoperative prep for patients before enterostomy procedures
Providing information on the best nutrition for ostomy health
Treating ostomy complications such as blockages, fistulas, and skin irritation
Patients need ostomies for all kinds of reasons, and enterostomy nurses must be familiar with each patient’s history and diagnosis. Some common indications for ostomy necessity include:
Bowel ischemia
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD)
Crohn’s disease
Colon cancer
Fecal incontinence
Low rectal or coloanal anastomosis
Perforating diverticulitis
Perineal necrotizing fasciitis
Rectal trauma or sphincter injury
Ulcerative colitis
Unresectable rectal carcinoma
How Do I Become an Enterostomy Nurse?
To become an enterostomy nurse, candidates first have to graduate from an accredited nursing program with their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This degree typically takes four years to complete, but some programs offer an accelerated option that can be finished in as little as a year. After graduation, nurses may apply to ET nursing jobs as graduate nurses (GNs).
Many facilities hire GNs to do their training under a nurse preceptor while they prepare to take their state licensing exam: the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). After passing the NCLEX, nurses can practice on their own as registered nurses (RNs) once they finish their facility’s orientation.
For these certifications, the WOCNCB requires applicants to:
Hold a current RN license
Have earned a bachelor’s degree
Graduate from an accredited wound, ostomy, and continence nursing education program within the past five years OR
1500 direct patient clinical hours in the specialty of their certification, or 4500 for wound, ostomy, and continence certification
How Much Does an Enterostomy Nurse Make Per Year?
An enterostomy nurse can earn the same as any other registered nurse (RN), which averages $81,220 per year as of 2022, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This amount can vary depending on your work setting and the cost of living in the area. The low-end average is $61,250, and the high-end is $129,400. Depending on where you work, your employer may be able to offer higher or lower compensation:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $90,600
Offices of Physicians: $79,810
Outpatient Care Centers: $97,200
Home Health Care Services: $82,920
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities): $77,190
Salaries also vary depending on which state an enterostomy nurse practices. The West Coast, some New England states, and Alaska may pay their nurses the best, but they also have a higher cost of living. The lowest paying states are in the Midwest and some southeastern states.
The top paying areas for enterostomy nurses include:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Napa, CA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Yuba City, CA
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
Certified enterostomy nurses can be paid more than a nurse who is not certified, depending on the facility. In general, the more experience and proof of expertise, the more an enterostomy nurse will be able to earn.
Are Enterostomy Nurses in High Demand?
An estimated 100,000 Americans have surgery that requires an enterostomy every year. With every new ostomy comes a huge need for support, practical ability, and education. Nurses from all specialties are in high demand in the United States, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, which reports that 24% of US hospitals have reported critical staffing shortages, and at least eight states have had to call in help from the military for staffing. Enterostomy nurses have skills and knowledge that will stay in high demand for many years.
Additional Resources About Becoming an Enterostomy Nurse
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