Abstract: Objective: To understand the psychological experience of bladder cancer patients with urostomy at different stages of the disease, and to provide reference for clinical nurses to carry out proper psychological intervention accordingly. Methods: From July 2023 to May 2024, using the phenomenological research method, purposive sampling was employed to select bladder cancer patients with urostomy from a tertiary grade A cancer hospital in Guangdong province as interview subjects. Based on timing theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted in five periods: the diagnosis period, the treatment period, the discharge preparation period, the adjustment period, and the adaptation period. Data collected were then analyzed using directed content analysis. Results: Five themes about the psychological experience of 25 patients with urostomy in different periods were extracted: a. diagnostic period: strong stress response; b. treatment period: extreme collapse; c. discharge preparation period: accepting the reality; d. adjustment period: hardship and reconstruction; e. adaptation period: positive growth. Conclusion: The psychological experience of bladder cancer patients with urostomy changes dynamically with different stages of the disease. However, the five periods are not indispensable, and there is overlap between different periods. Therefore, nurses should understand the psychological changes of stoma patients to give them corresponding psychological support and guidance both inside and outside the hospital, so as to promote the overall physical and mental recovery of patients.

Key words: patients with bladder cancer; urostomy; psychological experience; longitudinal study; qualitative study