According to Steiner et. al, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder affecting the lives of adolescent girls, with a median age onset of seventeen years ( as cited in Hurst, Read, & Wallis, 2012). It is characterized by the distorted perception of abnormally low body weight leading to alarming health complications; due to the extreme measures of maintaining an absurdly thin body. This paper explores how the illness alters the social, psychological, behavioural, and physiological health of adolescences focusing more with the teenage girl’s population. It also discusses the roles of nurses in addressing, managing, and preventing anorexia nervosa by applying interventions examined in this paper. Finally, it explains how the disorder implicates
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When caring for patients with anorexia, some health care professionals including nurses still believe in the idea that parents or families cause eating disorder as it is a sign of dysfunctional family (Silber, Lyster-Mensch, & Du Val, 2011). Instead of blaming the parents, the nurses should involve them in developing and enforcing care plan. According to Silber et al. (2011), one of the interventions that can be used in treating anorexia in adolescent is the Maudsley Method. This method is based on empowering the parents to help their children regaining lost weight; so therefore, nurses must positively engage the families as partners in treatment. The Maudsley Method has three phases: (1) weight restoration, (2) giving the adolescent control of eating, and (3) establishing a healthy adolescent identity. Since the parents are responsible for the growth and development of their children, they are responsible in preventing starvation. The nurses’ role on this treatment is to support and educates the parents, explaining that the balance between being positive and empathetic with their children while remaining firm is important characteristics when enforcing and making decisions about their children’s care …show more content…
Firstly, caring can be a very powerful tool in implementing treatment. Nurses must show caring as genuine, honest, and respectful in order for them to build a good relationship with the patient. The patient’s desire to change is essential to determine if the treatment will fail or there is a risk for relapse on discharge (Westwood & Kendal, 2012). The nurse may positively influence the patient’s opinion about their treatment and lifestyle changes as soon as the patient starts trusting them. Secondly, establishing an effective therapeutic communication will help them institute therapeutic alliance. Therapeutic alliance is an important element of care that improves adolescent’s outcomes of their care plan (Zugai, Stein-Parbury, & Roche, 2013). High-quality interaction between the patient and the nurse leads for the patient to feel comfortable and safe on the hospital environment. Lastly, advocating for adolescent with anorexia is beneficial for the success of the treatment. Zugai et al. (2013) stated that “inpatient treatment of adolescent with anorexia is often lengthy and it removes them from their home, school, family and friends”. Nurses who advocate for their patients to have a recreational activities and interactions with other patients and staffs will provide sense of comfort, normalcy and relieves emotional stressor for
When caring for patients with anorexia, some health care professionals including nurses still believe in the idea that parents or families cause eating disorder as it is a sign of dysfunctional family (Silber, Lyster-Mensch, & Du Val, 2011). Instead of blaming the parents, the nurses should involve them in developing and enforcing care plan. According to Silber et al. (2011), one of the interventions that can be used in treating anorexia in adolescent is the Maudsley Method. This method is based on empowering the parents to help their children regaining lost weight; so therefore, nurses must positively engage the families as partners in treatment. The Maudsley Method has three phases: (1) weight restoration, (2) giving the adolescent control of eating, and (3) establishing a healthy adolescent identity. Since the parents are responsible for the growth and development of their children, they are responsible in preventing starvation. The nurses’ role on this treatment is to support and educates the parents, explaining that the balance between being positive and empathetic with their children while remaining firm is important characteristics when enforcing and making decisions about their children’s care …show more content…
Firstly, caring can be a very powerful tool in implementing treatment. Nurses must show caring as genuine, honest, and respectful in order for them to build a good relationship with the patient. The patient’s desire to change is essential to determine if the treatment will fail or there is a risk for relapse on discharge (Westwood & Kendal, 2012). The nurse may positively influence the patient’s opinion about their treatment and lifestyle changes as soon as the patient starts trusting them. Secondly, establishing an effective therapeutic communication will help them institute therapeutic alliance. Therapeutic alliance is an important element of care that improves adolescent’s outcomes of their care plan (Zugai, Stein-Parbury, & Roche, 2013). High-quality interaction between the patient and the nurse leads for the patient to feel comfortable and safe on the hospital environment. Lastly, advocating for adolescent with anorexia is beneficial for the success of the treatment. Zugai et al. (2013) stated that “inpatient treatment of adolescent with anorexia is often lengthy and it removes them from their home, school, family and friends”. Nurses who advocate for their patients to have a recreational activities and interactions with other patients and staffs will provide sense of comfort, normalcy and relieves emotional stressor for