Treatment of an adolescent with an eat-ing disorder in a psychiatric ward. Nurse’s point of view.

Abstract

An eating disorder is a life-threatening mental illness that usually occurs at a young age. The disease occurs more in girls than in boys. The disease is primarily treated on an outpatient basis. Sometimes treatment needs to be provided in a psychiatric ward.

The purpose of this study was to review existing research evidence on how nurses can support adolescents with eating disorders at the ward so that recovery from the illness can begin. Data was collected from two different data bases: PubMed and MedLine (EbscoHOST). The search gave three articles that was analyzed using content analysis. Two different categories emerged: nurse related factors and nurse-patient related factors.

In conclusion, for the treatment of a young person with an eating disorder to progress in a psychiatric ward, the nursing staff should have knowledge of the eating disorder as an illness and its treatment, the ability to empathize, and the ability to establish a reliable treatment relationship with the adolescent and their family/caregivers so that the patient's recovery in the ward could be accomplished.