ostomy care practice questions with verified answers 2026\2027
A Grade
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 shiny/moist. It is normal
for a stoma to be swollen and large after surgery (this will subside after a few months), and it is normal
for the site to be tender due to the surgery (this will subside as well) and for the stoma to not be
draining any stool yet. It can take approximately 2 day before stool drains from a colostomy.
A Grade
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 shiny/moist. It is normal
for a stoma to be swollen and large after surgery (this will subside after a few months), and it is normal
for the site to be tender due to the surgery (this will subside as well) and for the stoma to not be
draining any stool yet. It can take approximately 2 day before stool drains from a colostomy.
