Anorexia: a literature review of young people's experiences of hospital treatment.

Anorexia nervosa is characterised by significantly low body weight, a fear of weight gain and persistent efforts to prevent the restoration of normal weight. It has potentially life-threatening physical and psychological complications, and many young people with anorexia present to hospital in a seriously compromised physical condition. While their physical symptoms require urgent treatment, addressing their emotional and psychological needs is equally important if they are to progress towards recovery. However, the conflicting thoughts common in anorexia mean that young people often feel highly ambivalent about treatment, which makes the disorder particularly challenging to treat. This article details a literature review undertaken to explore the perceptions and experiences of young people who have received hospital treatment for anorexia, with the aim of offering children's nurses insights into how they can optimally support these patients. The findings demonstrate the importance of listening to young people, treating them as individuals and understanding their experiences, in addition to addressing their physical health needs.

Metaethnographic Synthesis of Fathers' Experiences of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Environment During Hospitalization of Their Premature Infants.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize existing qualitative findings about fathers' experiences of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment. DATA SOURCES: Relevant key terms including preterm, father, and NICU were used to search the databases of CINAHL Plus, Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, and PsychInfo. STUDY SELECTION: Only primary qualitative studies were included. Studies were excluded that did not focus on the NICU environment. DATA EXTRACTION: Twenty-four studies were included. All authors critically appraised and extracted data relating to fathers' experiences in the NICU using an agreed data extraction form. DATA SYNTHESIS: Findings were synthesized by translating the initial concepts and findings from an identified key paper into the data from the remaining 23 studies. Initially this was done separately by each author followed by further group discussion and synthesis. Emergent themes included Proximity, Parental Autonomy, Vulnerability, Communication and Exclusion, and Isolation. CONCLUSIONS: The needs of fathers to interact and be involved with their infants' care was a prominent factor that enhanced their experiences in the NICU. Staff in the NICU can play a key role in facilitating this interaction through encouragement and reassurance.