Officially got the job!

B52, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 16, 2017

I haven't worked with many patients with eating disorders, but when I was a journalist I profiled a woman with an eating disorder. She said she would hide ankle weights under her clothing when weighed, vomit in plastic bags and hide them in her closet, and sneak and do thousands of push ups and crunches when no one was watching. She said she felt as if her body image was the only thing she had total control over. So, my advice is to be on high alert.

Heylove, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Nov 18, 2017

Congratulations! I work adolescent psych and I absolutely love it. Only a small number of our patients have had eating disorders, but with protective measures in place, we can usually prevent purging by not allowing them to go to the bathroom immediately after meals. If they insist on going to the bathroom, for their safety we stand by the door so we can be aware of signs that they are purging. We usually sit near the patients that attempt to restrict their food intake, encourage them as they are eating and make sure that they are not giving any of their food from their tray to other patients.

I am so happy for you! Watch for signs of staff splitting which is common with the adolescents. All staff must be on the same page about rules and expectations of the day's plan. I go into my shift with a positive outlook, and don't always necessarily take ALL of the previous shift's report to heart. Sometimes the kids act out and their behavior is completely different from how the patients act with the next shift. I look forward to hearing some of your "tales from the bedside."