Community Partnership to actively support patients with Eating Disorders

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevalence rates of eating disorders and their severity have increased significantly and wait times for specialty treatment have become dangerously long. Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in the community have been tasked with medically monitoring and supporting patients while they wait. There is currently no RN or NP-specific education as to the treatment of eating disorders in primary care.  The proposed intervention entails the creation and delivery of three online educational modules and one online workshop to broaden and strengthen the capacity and scope of practice of RNs and NPs treating eating disorders in primary care.

About the Team

Nurse Innovator Award Amount: $12,628

Dee McArthur is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. She currently works as part of an interprofessional team at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.  Dee is a PhD student at Queen’s University studying the role of Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in the treatment of patients with eating disorders. Dee’s clinical background also includes primary care as a Nurse Practitioner and specializations in mental health and public health as a Registered Nurse. Dee has also taught nursing at the undergraduate and graduate levels since 2010.