OSTOMY CARE PRACTICE QUESTIONS COMPLETE COURSE STUDY GUIDE WITH
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED EXPLANATIONS FOR 2025–2026
On assessment of a patient with a colostomy, you note the stoma is located on the right area of
the abdomen. Due to its location, this is known as what type of colostomy?
A. Descending Colostomy
B. Transverse
C. Ileostomy
D. Ascending Colostomy - correct answer -The answer is D. This is known as an ascending
colostomy.
Thinking back to the patient in Question 1, what type of stool would you expect the stoma to be
excreting?
A. Liquid stool
B. Lose to partly formed stool
C. Similar to normal stool
D. Semi-solid stool - correct answer -The answer is A. Stool from an ascending colostomy will be
liquid. Stool from a Transverse Colostomy: lose to partly formed stool, Descending/Sigmoid:
similar to normal solid consistency. An ileostomy will always excrete liquid stool.
True or False: An ileostomy is a surgical opening created to bring the large intestine to the
surface of the abdomen.
True
False - correct answer -The answer is FALSE. An ileostomy is a surgical opening created to bring
the SMALL (not large) intestine to the surface of the abdomen.
Describe, in order, how food travels from the stomach to the rectum:
A. It exits the stomach into: the cecum to the jejunum to the ileum, then into the duodenum,
descending colon, transverse colon, ascending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum.
, B. It exits the stomach into: the duodenum to the ileum to the jejunum, then into the cecum,
ascending colon, sigmoid colon, descending colon, transverse colon, and rectum.
C. It exits the stomach into: the ileum to the jejunum to the duodenum, then into the cecum,
sigmoid colon, transverse colon, descending colon, ascending colon, and rectum.
D. It exits the stomach into: the duodenum to the jejunum to the ileum, then into the cecum,
ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum. - correct
answer -D. It exits the stomach into: the duodenum to the jejunum to the ileum, then into the
cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum.
A patient has a double-barrel colostomy of the transverse colon. You note on assessment two
stomas, a proximal and distal stoma. What type of stool do you expect to drain from the
proximal and distal stomas?
A. Proximal: lose to partly formed stool; Distal: mucous
B. Proximal: liquid stool; Distal: mucous
C. Proximal: mucous; Distal: lose to partly formed stool
D. Proximal & Distal: lose to partly formed stool - correct answer -A. Proximal: lose to partly
formed stool; Distal: mucous
The answer is A. The proximal will drain stool while the distal will NOT. The distal will drain
mucous. Since it is a double-barrel colostomy of the transverse colon, you can expect the stool
to be lose to partly formed.
A patient is 8 hours post-opt from an colostomy placement. Which finding requires immediate
nursing action?
A. The stoma is swollen and large.
B. The stoma is black.
C. The stoma is not draining any stool.
D. The patient states the site is tender. - correct answer -The answer is B. An assessment finding
of a stoma being black is not a normal finding but represents compromised circulation to the
stoma. It requires immediate physician notification. The stoma should look red and be
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED EXPLANATIONS FOR 2025–2026
On assessment of a patient with a colostomy, you note the stoma is located on the right area of
the abdomen. Due to its location, this is known as what type of colostomy?
A. Descending Colostomy
B. Transverse
C. Ileostomy
D. Ascending Colostomy - correct answer -The answer is D. This is known as an ascending
colostomy.
Thinking back to the patient in Question 1, what type of stool would you expect the stoma to be
excreting?
A. Liquid stool
B. Lose to partly formed stool
C. Similar to normal stool
D. Semi-solid stool - correct answer -The answer is A. Stool from an ascending colostomy will be
liquid. Stool from a Transverse Colostomy: lose to partly formed stool, Descending/Sigmoid:
similar to normal solid consistency. An ileostomy will always excrete liquid stool.
True or False: An ileostomy is a surgical opening created to bring the large intestine to the
surface of the abdomen.
True
False - correct answer -The answer is FALSE. An ileostomy is a surgical opening created to bring
the SMALL (not large) intestine to the surface of the abdomen.
Describe, in order, how food travels from the stomach to the rectum:
A. It exits the stomach into: the cecum to the jejunum to the ileum, then into the duodenum,
descending colon, transverse colon, ascending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum.
, B. It exits the stomach into: the duodenum to the ileum to the jejunum, then into the cecum,
ascending colon, sigmoid colon, descending colon, transverse colon, and rectum.
C. It exits the stomach into: the ileum to the jejunum to the duodenum, then into the cecum,
sigmoid colon, transverse colon, descending colon, ascending colon, and rectum.
D. It exits the stomach into: the duodenum to the jejunum to the ileum, then into the cecum,
ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum. - correct
answer -D. It exits the stomach into: the duodenum to the jejunum to the ileum, then into the
cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum.
A patient has a double-barrel colostomy of the transverse colon. You note on assessment two
stomas, a proximal and distal stoma. What type of stool do you expect to drain from the
proximal and distal stomas?
A. Proximal: lose to partly formed stool; Distal: mucous
B. Proximal: liquid stool; Distal: mucous
C. Proximal: mucous; Distal: lose to partly formed stool
D. Proximal & Distal: lose to partly formed stool - correct answer -A. Proximal: lose to partly
formed stool; Distal: mucous
The answer is A. The proximal will drain stool while the distal will NOT. The distal will drain
mucous. Since it is a double-barrel colostomy of the transverse colon, you can expect the stool
to be lose to partly formed.
A patient is 8 hours post-opt from an colostomy placement. Which finding requires immediate
nursing action?
A. The stoma is swollen and large.
B. The stoma is black.
C. The stoma is not draining any stool.
D. The patient states the site is tender. - correct answer -The answer is B. An assessment finding
of a stoma being black is not a normal finding but represents compromised circulation to the
stoma. It requires immediate physician notification. The stoma should look red and be
