OMS Exam Information and Outline
Ostomy Management Specialist
OMS Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the official OMS exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap, breaking down exactly which technical domains and skills will be tested. By reviewing the syllabus, you can identify your strengths and focus your study time on the areas where you need the most improvement.
The information below reflects the latest 2026 course contents as defined by NAWCO. We provide this detailed breakdown to help you align your preparation with the actual exam format, ensuring there are no surprises on test day. Use this outline as a checklist to track your progress as you move through our practice question banks.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
- Anatomy/Physiology
- Gastrointestinal (GI) system
- Genitourinary (GU) system
- Principles of Wound Healing
- Partial-Full Thickness healing
- Types wound closure
- Moist wound healing
- Systemic factors that influence healing
- Treatment and management of conditions/etiologies/indications for Fecal or Urinary Diversion Surgery
- Bowel obstruction
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Ulcerative colitis- Crohn’s disease-
- Gastrointestinal cancers
- acute diverticulitis
- Bladder cancer
- Interstitial cystitis
- Neurogenic bladder
- Refractory radiation cystitis
- Pediatric conditions
- Hirschsprung’s disease
- Imperforate anus
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
- Malrotation with midgut volvulus
- Meconium ileus
- Intussusceptions
- Cloacal exstrophy
- Intestinal atresias
- Intestinal pseudoobstruction
- Intestinal transplant
- Assessment- treatment and management of:
- Gastrointestinal Ostomies
- Colostomy
- Ascending colostomy
- Cecostomy
- Transverse colostomy
- Descending colostomy
- Ileostomy
- Brooke ileostomy
- Gastrointestinal continent diversions
- Kock pouch
- Ileoanal reservoir
- Continent colostomy
- Urinary ostomies
- Urostomy
- Ileal conduit
- Colon conduit
- Uretero-sigmoidostomy
- Jejunum conduit
- Incontinent urinary diversions Ureterostomy- Vesicostomy
- Continent urinary diversions
- Indiana pouch
- Mitrofanoff continent urinary diversion
- Neo- bladder
- Fistulas
- Patient Education
- Pre-operative teaching and counseling:
- anatomy and physiology of the GI or GU system
- procedure
- appearance of the stoma
- appliances
- equipment
- modification and alterations of lifestyle after surgery
- Teaching plan specific patient needs and concerns:
- age
- self care ability
- presurgical life style
- barriers to learning
- patient’s support system
- dietary habits
- physical habits
- financial resources
- receptiveness to education
- social and coping skills
- psychosocial development
- environmental challenges
- Post-operative teaching and counseling:
- Apply- manipulate- empty- and remove pouching system
- stoma care
- bathing
- clothing
- activity restrictions
- medication influence
- dietary considerations
- peristomal skin care
- complications to report
- sexual counseling
- colostomy irrigation and discharge resources
- Assessment and management Peristomal complications:
- Peristomal hernia
- Peristomal fistula
- Peristomal candidiasis
- Folliculitis
- Pseudoverrucous lesions
- pyoderma gangrenosum
- Suture granulomas
- Irritant contact dermatitis
- allergic contact dermatitis
- skin trauma
- Psoriasis and Alkaline encrustations
- Carcinoma of the peristomal skin- Pemphigus
- Assessment and management of stoma and stomal complications:
- Categories- types- clinical characteristics
- Peristomal hernia
- stoma prolapse
- stoma necrosis
- stoma stenosis
- stoma retraction
- mucocutaneous separation
- stomal varices
- stoma fistula
- stoma trauma
- Assessment- management- and modifications for appliances and pouching products including:
- One- piece or two-piece systems
- Systems for fecal or urinary diversions
- Flexible or rigid skin barriers
- Flat or convex skin barriers- and pouching accessories
- Psychosocial Effects of Fecal and Urinary Diversion Surgery:
- Phases of adjustment- quality of life- self esteem- body image
- Relationships- spiritual- cultural- and ethnic considerations
- Health care professional’s role and responsibilities
- Procedures and techniques:
- Containment of stoma effluent
- Colostomy irrigation
- Catheterization of an ileal conduit
- Food blockage
- ileostomy lavage
- medication administration drug absorption
- Pouching fistulas
- Stoma site marking
- Tube management:
- nasogastric tubes
- nephrostomy tubes
- long intestinal tubes
- biliary tubes
- tracheostomy tubes