PAT: advanced nursing interventions for eating disorders

Passive activity time (PAT) is a nursing intervention that was developed for young people with eating disorders. This development was a pioneering attempt to examine the nursing care for this client group and improve treatment programmes. Nursing practice before PAT was dominated by a biomedical model which directed a set procedure of care for all patients, focusing primarily on weight restoration. The prominent interventions were bed rest for any patient who was under weight and a strict dietary regimen. PAT was the result of a change in nursing practice towards a more holistic philosophy of care. This article will describe the rationale behind its development and discuss its potential in future nursing practice for people experiencing anorexia nervosa.