Nursing performance with patients suffering from eating disorders

analysis of films and documentaries

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the performance of Nursing with patients with eating disorders in films about the subject. Method: this is a descriptive-exploratory study developed from secondary data. The film database Internet Move Database and descriptors in Portuguese and English were used, which were: “anorexia”, “bulimia” and/or “eating disorders”. The following inclusion criteria were adopted: audiovisual creations produced between 1998 and 2020; the content is available on the listed streaming platforms; the creations have audio and/or subtitles in Portuguese; and the film has a scene with the Nursing professional. Six media met these criteria and were analyzed based on a script that investigates Nursing's approach to the treatment of eating disorders. To list the most suitable production for didactic purposes, six objective criteria were considered. Results: most plots conveyed Nursing in a stereotyped way and with little autonomy, in addition to attributing a “bad” or “good doctor's helper” attitude to these professionals. Although no plot met all the objective criteria satisfactorily, the audiovisual production that met most of the criteria was the one indicated for didactic purposes. Conclusion: the productions, in general, are more in line with the medical care model, in which the nurse develops actions that are technical, supervisory, and disintegrated from the multidisciplinary team to the detriment of the biopsychosocial model, which demands clinical reasoning, critical thinking and grounded scientific knowledge.