Objective: To explore the self-management experiences and outpatient nursing needs of intestinal stoma patients during the post-discharge transition period, in order to provide a basis for scientific decision-making in patient self-care and improvements in specialized stoma outpatient services. Methods: Using purposive sampling, 13 colorectal cancer patients in the post-discharge transition period who had undergone intestinal stoma surgery were selected from a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province between November 2024 and March 2025. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method to extract themes. Results: Three core themes were identified: challenges in self-management during the transition period, outpatient nursing needs during the transition period, and gaps in doctor-patient information continuity. Conclusion: Future efforts should focus on high-risk groups of stoma patients during the transition period by building intelligent and systematic outpatient guidance and support systems to improve their quality of life.