eating disorder recovery center

jessica.lanelle · May 3, 2014

Yeah, I would not mention that.

chickpea7 · May 4, 2014

I want to preface by saying I am by no means a hiring manager, but I don't think it would be smart to mention your history with an eating disorder. You don't know how they would react to this information, whether positive or negative, so I think it's best to leave it out.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 5, 2014

Do NOT mention your eating disorder in your cover letter. IMO, I wouldn't mention it in the interview, or at any time period.

Reasons:

1. It will not guarantee you will be good at the job any more than my having two kids would guarantee that I'd be good at L&D nursing. There's a big difference between having the disorder and actually caring for other patients with the disorder, especially when you realize that the other patients aren't you, but are handling their disorder and recovery in their own way.

If they hire you for the job, trust me: it's not going to be just because you have an eating disorder.

2. Many employers are likely to see it more as a liability than as an asset. First, they're going to wonder if working in this field is going to put you at risk for relapse. Second, they're going to wonder if you can keep your own recovery separate from the patients. You'd be surprised how many people come in and try to force their own vision of recovery on the patients--I've seen it happen, in eating disorders as well as other settings. And doing that just doesn't work. And last: eating disorders rarely appear alone but in conjunction with other Axis I or Axis II diagnoses...they're may wonder what your other diagnoses are.

I'm not saying don't apply for the job--please do. And yes, mention your sincere interest in the field and if you're getting good vibes during the interview, maybe mention experience dealing with others'

But for your own benefit, keep your own recovery on the QT...or at least the fact that it's YOUR recovery you're talking about when sharing experiences or other info.

Oh yes...keep in mind that eating disorders are as much a physiological problem as they are a psychological one. So for that interview, you may want to brush up on the effects of eating disorders on the body (electrolyte imbalances are a good place to start).

Good luck.

elkpark · May 5, 2014

The remaining specialized eating disorder programs in the country are few and far between, and pretty "high-powered." I would be v. surprised if any of them hire new graduates, people who are not already experienced psych nurses, and somewhat suspicious of any program that does offer to hire new grads.. Working with eating disordered clients is extremely demanding and specialized (if you're doing it right :)), and I would encourage you to get some general psychiatric nursing experience before pursuing the subspecialization. People with eating disorders do turn up on general psychiatric units, and that would give you a chance to have some professional exposure and experience before making the committment to work in a subspecialized program.

You are "very familiar with the mind and behavior of an eating disordered individual" -- but that's one ED individual, you. People are individuals, and that's even more true in psych than it is in medical-surgical nursing. You cannot assume that your own experiences and perceptions "translate" to anyone else's experience. Some people working in psych or substance abuse with their own conditions have an extremely hard time dealing with other people not wanting to follow the same path, or having different outcomes, than the individual did in her/his own recovery.

I agree with Meriwhen that having an eating disorder yourself (in recovery) is no indication that you'll be good at this type of nursing, and working with those clients may put your own recovery at risk. Plenty of nurses have psychiatric disorders, and many (most?) of them choose to avoid psychiatric nursing precisely because working in the speciality just "cuts too close to the bone," as the saying goes. Some work in psych and do v. well. And some are attracted to psychiatric nursing as (consciously or unconsciously) a pathway to getting their own needs met, and allow their own issues to spill over into their work, which turns out badly for everyone.

Best wishes for your journey!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 5, 2014

You are "very familiar with the mind and behavior of an eating disordered individual" -- but that's one ED individual, you. People are individuals, and that's even more true in psych than it is in medical-surgical nursing. You cannot assume that your own experiences and perceptions "translate" to anyone else's experience. Some people working in psych or substance abuse with their own conditions have an extremely hard time dealing with other people not wanting to follow the same path, or having different outcomes, than the individual did in her/his own recovery.

This. This. This.

I've seen this several times in chemical dependency settings, but I've also seen it happen in an eating disorders setting. We had a staff member who had an known eating disorder history. One day we found her arguing with a patient about the reasons why the patient was making herself throw up. But the reality was that this staff member was lecturing the patient based on the reasons that the STAFF member made (though we strongly suspected "makes" was the more accurate term) herself throw up. Basically, staff member presumed that the patient was doing the behaviors for the same reasons that the staff member had (was), as she was telling the patient ,"No, that's not why you're doing it."

Needless to say, said staff member didn't last long. We saw her as a liability to both the facility and to the patients.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · May 5, 2014

The remaining specialized eating disorder programs in the country are few and far between, and pretty "high-powered." I would be v. surprised if any of them hire new graduates, people who are not already experienced psych nurses, and somewhat suspicious of any program that does offer to hire new grads.. Working with eating disordered clients is extremely demanding and specialized (if you're doing it right :)), and I would encourage you to get some general psychiatric nursing experience before pursuing the subspecialization. People with eating disorders do turn up on general psychiatric units, and that would give you a chance to have some professional exposure and experience before making the committment to work in a subspecialized program.
You are "very familiar with the mind and behavior of an eating disordered individual" -- but that's one ED individual, you. People are individuals, and that's even more true in psych than it is in medical-surgical nursing. You cannot assume that your own experiences and perceptions "translate" to anyone else's experience. Some people working in psych or substance abuse with their own conditions have an extremely hard time dealing with other people not wanting to follow the same path, or having different outcomes, than the individual did in her/his own recovery.
I agree with Meriwhen that having an eating disorder yourself (in recovery) is no indication that you'll be good at this type of nursing, and working with those clients may put your own recovery at risk. Plenty of nurses have psychiatric disorders, and many (most?) of them choose to avoid psychiatric nursing precisely because working in the speciality just "cuts too close to the bone," as the saying goes. Some work in psych and do v. well. And some are attracted to psychiatric nursing as (consciously or unconsciously) a pathway to getting their own needs met, and allow their own issues to spill over into their work, which turns out badly for everyone.
Best wishes for your journey!

I disagree. I was offered a job 6 years ago as a new grad on a eating disorder inpatient unit. I turned it down and went to work at a medical hospital, but there are facilities out there that will hire new grads onto these type of floors