A 14-year-old patient newly admitted to the eating disorders unit refuses to eat meals and angrily shouts at the nurse, "You can't make me eat! I'll do whatever I want to do."

Question

Which nursing intervention demonstrates an understanding of the priority safety issue for this anorexic patient?
a. Placing the patient's favorite low calorie beverages in open view
b. Assigning a staff member to one-on-one observation of the patient
c. Unlocking the patient's bathroom only at specific times during the day
d. Explaining to the patient that they will be required to keep an eating journal

Answer 1

ANS: B
The patient, especially when stressed, is capable of self-mutilation and needs to be protected from doing so. The issues of hydration, purging, and therapy work do not have the priority that physical safety has.