I'm a pediatric nurse who has worked in the hospital setting for the last 15 years and volunteered as a school nurse for just as many. In my career, I've cared for children with anorexia, and I think "An Inpatient Program for Adolescents with Anorexia Experienced as a Metaphoric Prison" (August) was very precise in its portrayal of the nurse-patient relationship.

It comes down to staffing ratios, which are frequently not adequate, especially when the nurse has to keep such a close eye on the patient. On our unit, on several occasions, patients with anorexia were added to a nurse's already heavy load. The rationale? "There isn't anything really wrong with them."

Tammy L. Hernandez, BSN, RN

San Antonio, TX