Faecal and urinary incontinence is a stigmatising and under-reported condition often neglected by professionals who can feel inappropriately skilled to provide appropriate care for sufferers (NICE 2007). Bowel management is a priority in both acute and community care settings in order to reduce the risk of perineal dermatitis, skin breakdown and transmission of infection.

Bowel management needs are assessed and cared for by a number of clinicians during the patients’ journey of care. To this end, a structured and consistent approach to bowel management education should be seen of value. Moreover, education should be seen as the vehicle to transfer knowledge and skills required by healthcare professionals (HCPs) to promote a high-quality healthcare service.

It is the responsibility of all nurses to ensure they maintain their professional knowledge and competence.

All staff working with people with bowel management needs should be aware of both the physical and the emotional impact this condition can have on people and their carers. Treatment and care should take account of individual needs and preferences and the educational needs of the clinicians’ should be accordingly aligned.

It is vital that healthcare professionals have up-to-date knowledge of both the assessment and treatment of the bowel management needs of their patients and ensure they are able to utilise the appropriate assessment tools and skin care regimes in order to offer high-quality care.

In order to raise awareness of the bowel management educational needs among healthcare professionals, Real Healthcare Solutions, supported by an educational grant from Hollister, has formed a working party consisting of clinical and academic experts. It is the overall ideal of the bowel management education working party to -

“To facilitate, support and develop the use of bowel management educational resources in practice, education and research. The aim being to improve knowledge, patient experience and outcomes”

The goal of the education working party is to improve clinician knowledge, patient experience and outcomes in the specialty of bowel management

Short-term objectives

• Develop a bowel management educational resource
• Raise awareness of the working party and the support it offers to clinicians
• Share the working party’s resources with other healthcare practitioners
• Paediatric minor illness and injury
• Develop patient information resources on bowel management

Long-term objectives

• Evaluate the validity of the bowel management educational resource
• Continue to support the use of bowel management educational resources in practice, research, and education