The nurse plans care for a client diagnosed with anorexia nervosa who is being admitted after failure of outpatient treatment. Which client outcome will the nurse prioritize?

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Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by distorted body image, profound fear of weight gain, a strong desire to be thin, and being unwilling to maintain a healthy body weight. The client engages in behaviors to lose weight, including not eating, purging, extreme exercise, and use of laxatives and diet pills. Psychosocial issues leading to anorexia are the focus of ongoing therapy, usually on an outpatient basis. However, certain criteria require hospitalization and include body weight below 75% of ideal, suicidal behavior, or medical conditions resulting from starvation. The priority focuses during inpatient care are the short-term outcomes of restoring caloric intake, promoting gradual weight gain, and treating medical conditions caused by starvation. (Options A, B, and D) Acknowledging poor interpersonal skills, identifying new coping mechanisms, and verbalizing sources of conflict and anger are important but will not be the focus during hospitalization. These long-term outcomes will be addressed during ongoing therapy. Educational objective: Treatment for a client requiring hospitalization for anorexia nervosa should focus on the short-term outcomes of increasing caloric intake, promoting gradual weight gain, and addressing medical conditions caused by starvation.

The Nurse Plans Care for a Client Diagnosed with Anorexia