In March 2006, a patient with medical diagnosis of Bulimia Nerviosa (hereinafter 'the patient') is received by the nursing team.
A nurse (in these cases sex is important) takes care to make an assessment.
After assessing needs, an agreement was established for scheduled visits every two weeks as individual nursing intervention.
At the same time, the patient is attended by a psychiatrist in individual consultation and attends a group therapy program, a relaxation workshop and a body image workshop.
The patient is the little daughter of a family of two sisters.
He's 17 years old.
They are a traditional, well structured family.
The father works in a company and the mother at home.
The patient is seated when he comes to consultation, although he is thinking about leaving the studies and working.
An eating-related body image disorder appeared in the initial nursing assessment.
It mainly adopts purging behaviors.
In addition, low self-esteem, depression, impulse control deficit and sleep pattern deterioration appear.
Although it maintains a good social relationship and is aware of the disease.
The patient says she has had problems for two years.
The objective of the work of nursing professionals in individual sessions is to work on aspects related to food, binge eating and vomiting.
It is intended that the patient undergoes purging behavior control methods.
The intervention agreement was established with the patient.
It undertakes to record the meals it takes during the 14 days that pass between each interview.
The record will record, together with what you eat, if you think it has been a binge, if there has been vomiting and what thoughts you have at that time.
This record is taken and modified from Fairburn's cognitive-behavioral treatment program.9 This allows, in addition to learning strategies to control purging behaviors, to work on thoughts and language.
The nine fortnightly interviews lasted approximately 30 minutes, when the patient's data were reviewed.
Work sessions focused on reasoning what was ingested and assessing whether it was appropriate, seeking alternatives to binge eating or vomiting, reflecting on thoughts and discovering aspects that were not logical.
Nine interviews were evaluated.
It was decided to discharge the individual visits for improvement in the control of purging behaviors, continuing with the rest of the intervention programs.
