The objective of this study was to better understand the emotions of ostomy patients and to reinforce their own moral value as beings-in-the-world, through actions of humanized care. This qualitative study followed the existential phenomenology school of thought and was performed at a teaching hospital in Northwestern Paraná - Brazil. Interviews were performed with 15 ostomy patients receiving care at the stomal therapy outpatient clinic during the months of June and July, 2006. The guiding question was: What does being an ostomy patient mean to you? From the analysis, three existential themes emerged: finding oneself in the world of ostomy; daily life with an ostomy bag; and the importance of spirituality in understanding the situation. It was observed that ostomy patients, in their existentiality, express their vicissitudes differently, revealing how painful or pleasant life events can be to them. It is the nurse's challenge to be mindful of their varying forms of expression.
Ostomy; Life change events; Nursing care; Spirituality