An exploration of the role of nursing in the inpatient treatment of anorexic adolescents: reworking the infantile feeding relationship as a template for recovery.

The aim of this study is to explore how nursing professionals, working in a specialist adolescent inpatient eating disorder setting, experience their role in emotionally supporting the young people in their care and managing the demands of their working role. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews of two nurses and five nursing assistants and this was analysed using IPA (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis). Six emergent themes will be considered: Regulating appetite for life Active waiting Digesting experiences Cleaning up Connecting as a team Preparing for an ending and letting go Comparison will then be made to the infantile feeding relationship and how, through reworking this, the nursing staff facilitate the patients to develop a healthier approach to relationships, experience and life. Recommendations are made regarding how nurses can be supported in their work and the importance of recognising and valuing the difficulty of the emotional aspects of the work.