Anorexic returning after hospitalization

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Good morning,

Wondering if any of you could share your experience welcoming back an anorexic after hospitalization. The student is in high school.  Once Covid hit she was remote most of the year and had several hospitalizations, most recently in August.  Parents are asking for her to remain remote which is really not an option this year so we are working to come up with a plan for her return.  If you have been in this situation, I would love to hear what you had in place to help your student transition back into school.

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

Do you mean a psych hospital or medical hospital? Usually a student in that position would be a part of the BRYT program (https://www.brooklinecenter.org/services/school-based-support/bryt-program/) in our district, if it were inpatient psychiatric treatment (which I think most inpatient ED clinics would qualify for). I don't know if it's a Massachusetts thing, but its specifically designed for students coming from inpatient treatment to transition back into a normal school setting. But I'm at the elementary level so I don't know much about it...

 

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Specializes in Pediatric.

In our district if you can provide medical reasoning why remote learning is beneficial then we allow it. Is this not an option for her?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Yup, MA but we no longer have BRYT, we have Hawthorne- they are similar and the goal is to transition her through Hawthorne back into regular school.

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

From a nursing perspective, I think it would mostly be about care coordination. Will she need a 504 to have a modified PE class, meal space? I don't think much else would need to be done for this student other than potentially having the health office be safe space for observed meals, occasional weights, and vitals. Beyond that, just being aware of the situation and making sure you've got frequent check ins with the team caring for her.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.
23 hours ago, T-ROD said:

Is this not an option for her?

It IS however her medical team really does think she would benefit from being in person and the family's goal is to return to in person eventually.

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Specializes in School LPN.
On 9/23/2021 at 1:18 PM, MHDNURSE said:

It IS however her medical team really does think she would benefit from being in person and the family's goal is to return to in person eventually.

LRE (Least Restrictive Environment).    It's pretty much the law.   If a parent wants the child back in class and there's not any compelling reason why it can not be done, you're stuck with it.   It's one of the things I end up going through every week advising the administration on what to do with students on IEP, IHP/504, etc...

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