NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Sample Answer for NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I Included After Question

Description:

Understanding family structure and style is essential to patient and family care. Conducting a family interview and needs assessment gathers information to identify strengths, as well as potential barriers to health. This information ultimately helps develop family-centered strategies for support and guidance.

This family health assessment is a two-part assignment. The information you gather in this initial assignment will be utilized for the second assignment in Topic 3.

Develop an interview questionnaire to be used in a family-focused functional assessment. The questionnaire must include three open-ended, family-focused questions to assess functional health patterns for each of the following:

1. Values/Health Perception
2. Nutrition
3. Sleep/Rest
4. Elimination
5. Activity/Exercise
6. Cognitive
7. Sensory-Perception
8. Self-Perception
9. Role Relationship
10. Sexuality
11. Coping

Select a family, other than your own, and seek permission from the family to conduct an interview. Utilize the interview questions complied in your interview questionnaire to conduct a family-focused functional assessment. Document the responses as you conduct the interview.

Upon completion of the interview, write a 750-1,000-word paper. Analyze your assessment findings. Submit your questionnaire as an appendix with your assignment.

Include the following in your paper:

1. Describe the family Include individuals and any relevant attributes defining the family composition, race/ethnicity, social class, spirituality, and environment.
2. Summarize the overall health behaviors of the Describe the current health of the family.
3. Based on your findings, describe at least two of the functional health pattern strengths noted in the findings. Discuss three areas in which health problems or barriers to health were identified.
4. Describe how family systems theory can be applied to solicit changes in family members that, in turn, initiate positive changes to the overall family functions over

Cite at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly sources to complete this assignment. Sources should be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to theLopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

The promotion of optimum health of families is imperative in healthcare. Nurses utilize their understanding of family structure and diversity in needs to develop care plans that promote the health, wellbeing, and recovery of family members. Family assessment enables nurses to provide holistic care that addresses both the actual and potential needs of the family members. The assessment provides insights into family strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to be explored to achieve the desired health-related goals. Therefore, this paper NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I examines an interview performed with a family to identify its health status and application of family systems theory to promote positive change in the family’s functions over time.

Description of the Family Structure

The interviewed family comprises seven members that include parents aged between 40 and 50 years, a grandparent aged 75 years, and two children aged between 10 and 20 years. The family is of African American ethnicity. It is a Christian family living in a family-owned home. The father is a nurse while the mother is a teacher. The grandfather is a retired army officer. The children are school-going. The family is of the middle class, living in a healthy environment. It engages in activities that contribute to the development of the community. For example, it assists the poor in achieving their health-related needs.

Overall Health Behaviors of the Family

The interview revealed the family to be of moderate health. Most of the family members were found healthy except the grandfather who is diabetic and suffers from depression. The family engages in activities that contribute to their positive health. They include engaging in active physical activities, eating healthy diets, and utilizing social support systems to achieve their health-related needs. The interview also showed the family to utilize screening services for health problems, including hypertension, cancer, and obesity. The interview showed some areas of weaknesses that threaten its health. They include high costs of care and access to specialized care. The family raised concerns about the increasing costs of addressing the care needs of the grandfather. In most cases, the family found it hard to access the specialized care he needed due to its geographical location in the region. Therefore, it was essential to assist the family to identify ways of addressing their health-related challenges.

Functional Health Pattern Strengths

The interview revealed some functional health pattern strengths in the family. One of the strengths relates to values/health perception patterns. The family was aware of its health needs and how to achieve them. It understood the unique health needs of each member of the family. It was also aware of the importance of engaging in health practices that promote its health. For example, its members utilize screening services to identify and manage health problems promptly.

The family members also engage in active physical activity to prevent health problems, including obesity, overweight, diabetes, and hypertension. The second functional area of strength identified during the interview is coping. The family acknowledged experiencing stressors that affect its overall health. However, it uses effective coping strategies such as seeking support from each other and community members to overcome the stressors. It also seeks professional support from counselors and healthcare providers to overcome adversities. Effective coping with stressors has enabled the family to develop resilience to unforeseen events that may affect its members (Davey et al., 2020).

Areas of Health Problems or Barriers to Health

One of the barriers to health identified in the family is the high cost of care. The family members noted that achieving grandfather’s health needs has been costly for them. The grandfather needs frequent hospitalizations for depression and diabetes, which increases the costs incurred in the family. The costs incurred in seeking specialized care have been rising, hence, the challenge. The other barrier identified from the interview is access to specialized care. The family noted challenges in accessing specialized care it needed due to its geographical location in the region (Huot et al., 2019). One of the health problems identified from the interview is the grandfather suffering from diabetes and depression. The children are also predisposed to lifestyle-related problems due to too much screen time and playing video games (Anderson & Durstine, 2019). Therefore, it was essential to educate the family about the importance of engaging consistently in activities that promote their health.

Application of Family Systems Theory

The family systems theory can be appliedto solicit changes in family members that, in turn, initiate

positive change to the overall functions over time. The theory provides insights on how family members can be influenced to contribute to their optimal health (Bottorff et al., 2021). The analysis of theoretical concepts such as sibling behavior and family problems increases nurses’ understanding of family functioning and health. Therefore, they can use it to strengthen positive behaviors that will contribute to their optimal functioning and the health of the family (Bottorff et al., 2021). In addition, the theory can be used to increase the understanding of the family members of the interdependence in their roles and how to engage in activities contributing to their optimal health.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I Conclusion

Overall, a family assessment is important in nursing practice. Nurses utilize it to understand the actual and potential family needs. The interview performed with the family revealed some strengths and weaknesses. It is important for nurses working with the family to empower the members to identify opportunities for minimizing their barriers to health. In addition, they should explore the incorporation of the family systems theory into the care given to the family to ensure its optimum health.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I References

Anderson, E., & Durstine, J. L. (2019).Physical activity, exercise, and chronic diseases: A brief review.Sports Medicine and Health Science, 1(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006

Bottorff, J. L., Huisken, A., Hopkins, M., & Friesen, L. (2021).Scaling up a community-led health promotion initiative: Lessons learned and promising practices from the Healthy Weights for Children Project.Evaluation and Program Planning, 87, 101943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101943

Davey, J., Herbst, J., Johns, R., Parkinson, J., Russell-Bennett, R., &Zainuddin, N. (2020). The role of health locus of control in value co-creation for standardized screening services. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 30(1), 31–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-08-2018-0180

Huot, S., Ho, H., Ko, A., Lam, S., Tactay, P., MacLachlan, J., &Raanaas, R. K. (2019). Identifying barriers to healthcare delivery and access in the Circumpolar North: Important insights for health professionals.International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 78(1), 1571385. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2019.1571385

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A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

What is a definition of family that encompasses the different family structures prevalent today? Discuss the importance of acknowledging nontraditional family structures. Explain how family systems theory can be used to better understand the interactions of a modern family (traditional or nontraditional). 

Traditionally, a family was defined as parents and children living together in a single home. Still, the US Census Bureau recognizes a family as individuals living in the same house who are related through bloodline, adoption or marriage. However, these definitions cannot completely define what a family is in today’s society. There are many types of family structures. The word family may mean different things to different people. Some consider their friends and distant relatives more of a family than the traditional mother father children. Pets are considered part of the family also.

When defining a family in modern times, it is important to not narrow it down to only father, mother, children. We need to consider the different type of families which may not include gender marriage or blood relatives or parents’ gender may be same sex. We have blended families, where offspring from previous marriages become sibling. There is the family of choice where an individual chooses someone they can trust and love rather than the original bloodline relatives. Green, S. (2018) “The institute of medicine defines family broadly for end-of-life care, as not only people related by blood or marriage, but also close friends, partners, companions, and others whom patient will want as part of their care team”

It is important to recognize the nontraditional family structure because the individual health is closely linked to the health of the family. Green, S. (2018) understands that “rather than trying to determine which model and which developmental tasks are best for studying the families, Wright and Leahey (2013) believe the best approach is for nurses to view each family as an exclusive system, then assess the family’s views of the meaning of changes and transitions in the family system. The nurse can then use the family’s views to determine which aspects have the most impact on that system.”

When assessing a patient, the nurse can use the Calgary family assessment by interviewing the family members, this can save a lot of time. It is important for the nurse to connect with the family. communication and questioning of family members, gives a better understanding of issues brought out in the assessment process.

Reference

Green, S. (2018) Health Promotion: Health & wellness across the continuum. Understanding families and health promotion. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/4

NRS 429V Week 5 Discussion 2 NEW SYLLABUS

How could you use the family structural theory to determine if a family is dysfunctional or not? Provide evidence to support your answer.

NRS 429 Topic 5 DQ 2 OLD SYLLABU

What characteristics would lead a provider to suspect domestic violence, child abuse, or elder abuse is taking place within a family? Discuss your facility’s procedure for reporting these types of abuse.

A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Re: Topic 5 DQ 1

Health education is used to teach people how their actions or inactions have affected their overall health and well-being. Health promotion is when this information is used by the individual in order to promote their own health and have positive outcomes. “Nurses are actively involved in both health promotion and health education, providing education that is necessary to help patients achieve control over the promotion of their own health” Grand Canyon University, 2018). The nursing process is vital in developing health education. You first begin by assessing the knowledge your patient already has and what kind of learning style they possess. Next you would make a plan of how you wanted to educate the patient and the strategies they would best respond to. You should then implement the plan. And lastly, you need to evaluate how much and what information you patient has retained.

When I lived in the Midwest one of the major issues that affected many friends and family was the opioid epidemic. Many people I knew were not prone to drug abuse but because of lack of education found themselves abusing opioids. This type of addiction did not care what social or economic status you found yourself at, it did not discriminate against anyone. “Health education programs are a vital component to end the opioid epidemic by preventing opioid addiction and misuse before overdose or opioid-related comorbidities occur” (Policy Brief A Nation in Crisis: A Health Education Approach to Preventing Opioid Misuse and Addiction, n.d.).

In order to slow the addiction to these kinds of drugs it is important to educate every patient before they begin taking any of these types of medications about their addictive nature. This should be done using public programs so that they have the information before they are even given an opioid. They then can address the issue with their doctor if they are ever prescribed an opioid. “Therefore, health education is not only effective in its ability to allow community members to make informed health decisions, but to improve safety and quality of life” (Policy Brief A Nation in Crisis: A Health Education Approach to Preventing Opioid Misuse and Addiction, n.d.).

Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Health promotion: Health & wellness across the continuum. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/

Policy Brief A Nation in Crisis: A Health Education Approach to Preventing Opioid Misuse and Addiction. (n.d.). https://www.sophe.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Policy-Brief-Heealth-education-and-opioids.pdf

A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

I agree with you that health education is critical component in nursing practice. It is the main tool that guides in health promotion approaches. The nurses have a responsibility to educate the members of the public on health risks, predisposing factors, the effects of the diseases and finally the preventive measures (Whitehead, n.d.). I also agree with you that health education empowers the members of the community hence increase their safety. This is as a result of having information on the risks of various lifestyle choices and habits that could have adverse effects to the health hence informed choices. Guidance and counselling patients is also a form of health education. In tackling the opioid misuse epidemic in the US, the federal regulation stipulates clearly the for the centers that dispense methadone treatment to offer counselling, the same applies to doctors who prescribe these drugs, they should refer the patients for counselling (Hoffman et al., 2019). This demonstrates how health education is a critical component in the healthcare systems.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I References

Whitehead, D. (n.d.). Exploring health promotion and health education in nursing. Journals.Rcni.com. https://journals.rcni.com/nursing-standard/cpd/exploring-health-promotion-and-health-education-in-nursing-ns.2018.e11220/print/abs

Hoffman, K. A., Ponce Terashima, J., & McCarty, D. (2019). Opioid use disorder and treatment: challenges and opportunities. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4751-4

A Sample Answer 6 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Trans-theoretical Model was developed in the 1970s by Prochaska  DiClemente. It is an integrative model to conceptualize the process of intentional behavior change, meaning people can only change their behaviors if they want to, and this doesn’t happen spontaneously, but rather through a process over time. The process of change according to this model goes through five distinctive stages namely ; precontemplation, contemplation, decision, action and maintenance. The individual must successfully complete the first stage before moving to the next stage.

This model can be used to provide tailored nursing for lifestyle modification such as physical activity, diet and smoking cessation management. The nurse should understand that not all individuals will move at the same pace, some will lag, stagnate or regress at a certain stage. Therefore, it is essential to consider the benefits and costs of implementing change, evaluating the effect of change, finding support for change and determining whether they can confidently make the change into a healthy behavior (Glanz, Rimer and Lewis,2005).

There are several barriers that affect a patient’s ability to learn, these include individual traits like age, race, ethnicity and immigration status. Other barriers include language, psychosocial issues, education level and life experiences (Whitney 2018). The nurse must keenly assess which learning style best suits the patient’s educational needs

Patient’s readiness to learn will greatly impact the learning outcome. A patient who has made an informed choice of making a healthy behavioral change will have a favorable outcome as compared to the one who hasn’t decided to change or who is still at the precontemplation stage. Also, the mental attitude of the patient towards change and the driving force to desire change counts. According to Opsal 2019, patients who were voluntarily admitted had higher chances of making a change in their health behavior unlike the ones admitted involuntarily.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I References:

CCC web books by AWS & CDD. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/2

Login. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/

A Sample Answer 7 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Assessment is usually the first step in the nursing process when developing care plans for an individual patient or a family. Family health assessment involves collecting information about a family’s disease prevention and health promotion practices (Jazieh et al., 2018). A family influences an individual’s health by health behavior, direct biological and psycho-physiological means. Family assessment is the initial step in establishing the need for additional interventions and the particular aspects of family life that need to be addressed (Jazieh et al., 2018). In this assignment, I developed a questionnaire using Gordon’s health patterns and interviewed a family. This paper seeks to analyze the family’s assessment findings, including the family structure, health behaviors, strengths, and health problems, and use the family systems theory to influence changes in the family.

Family Structure

I interviewed family X, a blended family of six members. The members include the father, mother, three daughters, and one son. The father is 58-year-old, the mother is 56 years, 1st born is 34, 2^nd born is 32, 3^rd born is 28, and 4^th born is 16 years. Mr. and Mrs. X have been married for 24 years. Since it is a blended family, the 1^st born and 3rd born daughter belong to Mrs. X, the 2^nd born daughter belongs to Mr. X, and the 4^th born son was born from their union.

The family is multiracial; Mr. X is an African American, Mrs. X, and the 3^rd born are Whites, and the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th born children are multiracial. The family belongs to the upper-middle socioeconomic class with an average annual household income of $250,000. Mr. X is a managing director of an insurance firm, while Mrs. X is a financial coach having an established consultancy firm. The 1^st born is an attorney, 2^nd born is an architect, 3^rd born is her final year in law school, and the 4^th born is in his final high school year. The family lives in Forest Hills, Queens, in New York.  All the family members observe the Catholic faith and practices.

Health Behaviors of the Family

The family generally has acceptable health behaviors based on the members’ lifestyle and health promotion practices.  The family reported adopting a culture of taking freshly-prepared healthy home meals. Their meals are composed of high proteins, fruits and vegetables, and low carbohydrates. The diet patterns were informed by their awareness of chronic lifestyle illnesses and have helped to maintain a healthy weight (Conner & Norman, 2017). In addition, they reported having adequate water intake and healthy snacks between meals.

The family also has healthy sleeping patterns. Mrs. X reported that she initiated the sleeping patterns in the children since their childhood by limiting screen time. Another health behavior is attending annual well-exams. The family members have made it a habit to attend the exams where they are assessed for underlying problems and screened for chronic illnesses (Conner & Norman, 2017). The family generally has a good health status since no member has a chronic illness or is currently having an infectious disease.

Functional Health Pattern Strengths

Strengths were identified in the functional health patterns of Nutrition and Sleep-rest patterns. The family has adopted healthy dietary patterns characterized by balanced meals with adequate fruits and vegetable servings and low caloric intake. Besides, the family had no diet restrictions or difficulties in eating, digestion, or absorption of food. The family also avoids junk fast foods since they have high fat and sodium content and low-nutritional value (Conner & Norman, 2017). The family reported having adequate sleeping hours of 7-10 hours per day in the sleep-rest pattern. They also had adequate rest-relaxation periods and reported feeling rested and ready for daily activities after waking up. No member reported having difficulties initiating or maintaining sleep, sleeps interruptions, early awakening, or using sleeping aids.

Identified Health Problems/Barriers to Health

Health problems and barriers were identified in the patterns of Values-Health Perception, Activity-Exercise, and Role-Relationship. In the Values-Health perception pattern, some family members reported engaging in unhealthy habits such as tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and marijuana use, which puts them at risk of chronic illnesses (Jia et al., 2017).  In the Activity-Exercise pattern, most members had ineffective exercise patterns and reported rarely engaging in physical exercises.

Besides, those who engaged in physical exercises did not reach the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic activity. The inadequate physical exercises put them at risk of chronic illnesses (Jia et al., 2017). The role-relationship pattern had major problems characterized by frequent strains and dysfunctional relationships in the family contributed by being in a blended family.  Mr. and Mrs. X reported having difficulties in handling family problems. The children had frequent conflicts related to their roles in the family, and the parents experienced problems handling them. Besides, some of the children reported feeling isolated.

Application of the Family Systems Theory

The Family Systems theory describes a family as an interrelated whole that adapts to changes brought by a health illness of a family member. The theory helps providers understand that families change regularly in response to environmental stress and strains. The complexity of family systems advances over time, and families must improve their capacity to change or adapt (Calatrava et al., 2021). The family systems theory can be applied to promote healthy lifestyle practices in family X. A family member can be encouraged to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which will, in turn, inspire others to do the same (Pilato & Davison, 2021). Besides, the theory can help the family address the stress they undergo that causes family chaos to promote functional family patterns.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I Conclusion

The primary purpose of a family assessment is to assess and evaluate the family members’ functioning to understand their problems. The interviewed family demonstrated healthy behaviors such as healthy diet and sleep patterns and engaging in health promotion activities. However, health problems and barriers were identified in the Values-Health Perception, Activity-Exercise, and Role-Relationship patterns.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I References

Calatrava, M., Martins, M. V., Schweer-Collins, M., Duch-Ceballos, C., & Rodríguez-González, M. (2021). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen Family Systems Theory’s core construct. Clinical psychology review, 102101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102101

Conner, M., & Norman, P. (2017). Health behavior: Current issues and challenges. Psychology & Health, 32(8), 895-906. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2017.1336240

Jazieh, A. R., Volker, S., & Taher, S. (2018). Involving the family in patient care: A culturally tailored communication model. Global Journal on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, 1(2), 33-37. https://doi.org/10.4103/JQSH.JQSH_3_18

Jia, Y., Gao, J., Dai, J., Zheng, P., & Fu, H. (2017). Associations between health culture, health behaviors, and health-related outcomes: a cross-sectional study. PloS one, 12(7), e0178644.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178644

Pilato, K. A., & Davison, C. M. (2021). Family as a health promotion setting: A scoping review of conceptual models of the health-promoting family. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249707

A Sample Answer 8 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I
Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

A family refers to a primary group of people living in a household in consistent proximity and intimate relationship. Family health is determined by the interaction of factors in the family’s external and internal environment (Michaelson et al., 2021). Family health assessment entails identifying these internal and external factors, which are vital in assessing the health-illness factors that affect family health. The purpose of this paper is to analyze my findings from a family health assessment. 

Family Structure

            I interviewed family N, an African American nuclear family with six family members, two parents, and four children. Mr. N is 58, and Mrs. N is 55, and they have been married for close to 33 years. Mr. N has a diploma in education and is an elementary school teacher. Mrs. N studied up to the high school level and worked as a storekeeper in a high school. The firstborn (female) is 30 years and married with one child. She has a Bachelor’s in education and is a high-school teacher. The second-born (male) is 26 years, single, and works in the Military. The third-born (male) is 23 years; he is a nursing student at a community college. The fourth-born (female) is 15 years and is in high school. Family N falls under the working social class with an average household income of $50,000. The family members are Catholics and attend mass at least twice a month. Mrs. N is a church choir member, and the family attends monthly fellowships in the neighborhood. The family lives in Greenville, KY, in a rural neighborhood. They report access to healthcare services but limited transport options.

Family Health and Health Behaviors

Family N is in relatively good health with no chronic illnesses among the family members. Healthy behaviors noted in the family include eating healthy meals and engaging in physical activity. Mrs. N mentioned that she prepares healthy meals for the family. The family has a kitchen garden where they have planted vegetables and rear chicken. The garden is a source of daily fresh vegetables and fruits for the family. Mr. and Mrs. N also reported that they often walk to work a distance that takes 10-15 minutes, which keeps them physically active. They also attend to their garden on weekends, keeping them physically active. Mr. and Mrs. N have health insurance provided by their employers. However, they reported that they do not attend annual check-ups unless they are ill. Other unhealthy behaviors include smoking and alcohol consumption, particularly in Mr. N. He reports smoking 1PPD and taking 3-4 beers daily.

Functional Health Patterns Strengths, Health Problems or Barriers to Health

Functional health pattern strengths were identified in Nutrition and Activity/Exercise patterns. In the Nutrition pattern, the family takes healthy meals with high vegetable and fruit servings sourced from their garden. Junk foods, processed foods, and drinks with added sugars are hardly taken in the family. Mrs. N insists on healthy dietary habits in the family since she knows the health risks of high-fat and salty foods. Under the Activity/Exercise pattern, the family engages in regular physical activity like walking and gardening. Mr. N coaches students in football, which has made him physically fit. Mrs. N mentions that daily walks and eating healthy foods have helped her to maintain a healthy weight. 

Problems and barriers to health were identified in the functional patterns of Values/Health Perception, Sleep/Rest, and Role-Relationship. Problems identified in the Values/Health Perception pattern include the family members failing to attend preventive screening activities and annual medical check-ups (Khatiban et al., 2019). Mrs. N has not adhered to the recommended breast and cervical cancer screenings, while Mr. N has never had a PSA test. In the Sleep/Rest pattern, some family members reported having problems maintaining sleep and insomnia. Mr. N stated that he takes beer in the evening to help with sleep, and he often feels he is not adequately rested after waking up. Problems in the Role-Relationship pattern include impaired relationships among family members (Butcher & Jones, 2021). Mrs. N often gets into arguments with Mr. N due to his daily drinking habits and his spending habits. Besides, Mr. N has a poor connection with his first-born daughter due to his poor spending habits.

Application of Family Systems Theory

Family Systems Theory (FST) explains human behavior through a complex web of emotional processes in a person’s family, social systems, and work. The theory outlines how emotional interdependence among family members influences a person’s character and life decisions (Milberg et al., 2020). Any change in one family member will likely affect the whole family and foster behavior changes in other members. Thus, FST can promote behavior change among one family member (Calatrava et al., 2022). Since family members are strongly emotionally connected, behavior change in one member will influence others to change.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I Conclusion

Family N is a nuclear, working-class, African American family comprising six members. The family is in relatively good health and has notable healthy behavior, like engaging in physical activities and healthy dietary habits. However, unhealthy behaviors were noted smoking, alcohol consumption, and non-adherence to annual medical check-ups and screenings. FST can be used to promote behavior change among family members by focusing on the interactions between the family members.

NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I References

Butcher, R. D. C. G., & Jones, D. A. (2021). An integrative review of comprehensive nursing assessment tools developed based on Gordon’s Eleven Functional Health Patterns. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 32, 294-307. https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-3095.12321

Calatrava, M., Martins, M. V., Schweer-Collins, M., Duch-Ceballos, C., & Rodríguez-González, M. (2022). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen Family Systems Theory’s core construct. Clinical psychology review, 91, 102101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102101

 Khatiban, M., Tohidi, S., & Shahdoust, M. (2019). The effects of applying an assessment form based on the health functional patterns on nursing student’s attitudes and skills in developing the nursing process. International Journal of nursing sciences, 6(3), 329–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.06.004

 Michaelson, V., Pilato, K. A., & Davison, C. M. (2021). Family as a health promotion setting: A scoping review of conceptual models of the health-promoting family. PloS one, 16(4), e0249707. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249707

Milberg, A., Liljeroos, M., Wåhlberg, R., & Krevers, B. (2020). Sense of support within the family: a cross-sectional study of family members in palliative home care. BMC palliative care, 19(1), 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00623-z

A Sample Answer 9 For the Assignment: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Title: NRS 429 Topic 2 Family Health Assessment Part I

Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) (2022) defines a family as “a group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together; all such related persons are considered as members of one family.” Multiple family structures are traditional and nontraditional. Acknowledging family structures is essential to understand what others settle with. It brings awareness that family can include anyone that brings love, support, and happiness to one’s life. One kind of family structure is the nuclear family. These are considered traditional families, where two parents are married and have children. Most people want to keep this structure even if things don’t always work out. A single-parent structure is an individual who has one or more children.

The parent is either widowed, divorced, or never married. This style is becoming more common since the 1960’s. Researchers believe these changes arose due to being independent, successfully raising a child alone, or leaving outdated gender roles in the past. (Oelze, 2022). It is crucial for single parents with children to make the best with what they have and encourage love and support from those around them. Extended families have been present for hundreds of years. Oelze (2022) defines an extended family as ” families with two or more adults who are related through blood or marriage, usually along with children.” In this structure, family is supportive of each other. The children and parents provide care to their elders, and the elders can offer child care support while the parents work. Living with extended family for most people is a choice, while others are obligated to.

A childless family structure is when two partners cannot have children or do not want any. This is still a family because it involves two people. Childless families generally take in other’s kids as their own or have animals they treat as babies. People involved in childless families can be referred to as wife and husband, wife and wife, husband and husband, or partner and partner. Addressing children in this structure is a sensitive topic, so be cautious. Stepfamilies are more common and are when two separate families become one.

” This can go several different ways, like two divorced parents with one or more children blending families, or one divorced parent with kids marrying someone who has never been married and has no kids.” (Oelze, 2022). It can take children sometime before fully trusting their stepparents and accepting them as part of their family. The dynamic can go from only stepparents to step-grandparents, step-aunts, step-uncles, and so forth. Grandparent families are becoming more common, when the grandparents assume the parents role and raise their grandchild. Usually, the parents have a setback that keeps them from properly raising their children, which leads to the grandparents stepping up. This structure keeps the family together and helps form bonds between them. Some nontraditional family roles are when adolescents are parents or if the parents are homosexual, leading to adoption.

The family systems theory was developed by a psychiatrist named Murray Bowen who believed this theory looked into family as an emotional unit, studying their behaviors and concepts of family development. The ReGain Editorial Team (2022) notes, “The Bowen family systems theory suggests that a family functions as an emotional system wherein each member plays a specific role and must follow certain rules.” Bowen’s theory has many steps to complete before reaching therapy. In family system’s therapy, family members work together to strengthen the dynamic. This involves discussing issues and family coming together to find a solution. Bowen’s theory and other family system theories explain that no matter what family structure an individual comes from, each family member has some dependence among other members.

This was insightful and I agree with some of the writer’s disposition and points discussed in the article. The writer posed some solid ideas making reference to the importance of addressing not only the patient but also the care giver. In my experience especially working in child and adolescent psych, nursing worked closely with social work and other inter disciplinary teams to address and to treat the whole family system. In all cases, familial and/or the child’s support system was always incorporated and fully engaged in the care plan of the patient. Education was always provided along with emotional support and guidance for family members. More so, the interdisciplinary team worked cohesively together to find solutions to aid in financial issues or find emotional support resources available to family members in their community that were actively involved with the client’s care. I think its also important to consider in some cultures great reverence and priority is taken when caring for their family members and may not view this as a “burden” but more as their purpose. Providing stronger resource to meet the needs of the patient and familial care takers should be the central goal to providing the best care needed for this type of family dynamic. 

Why is the concept of family health important? Consider the various strategies for health promotion. How does a nurse determine which strategy would best enable the targeted individuals to gain more control over, and improve, their health?

The importance of understanding and promoting family health is essential to assessing, treating, and promoting the prevention of health issues in an individual and on a broader societal scale. The family or household setting is the basis where many health behaviors, positive or negative, are developed, maintained, and changed (Barnes et al, 2020). The family serves as the developmental framework for an individual, and ultimately establishes and nurtures the physical, social, and behavioral patterns in early childhood and over the course of a lifetime. Each member of the family unit has an effect or influence on one another and should be seen as the sum of its parts, working as one whole system (Faulkner et al, 2022). “Observing or understanding the complexity and emotions of the family system lends to the understanding of the individual. When a change occurs in a subsystem, the other parts of the systems react and adapt to the change in an effort to remain a stable unit” (Faulkner et al, 2022). Thus, educating and treating the individual is not enough when promoting healthy lifestyle changes, prevention of disease and behavioral modifications, the healthcare professional must include the whole family system in their approach for optimal client care outcomes. 

The Calgary family assessment model is the standard for assessing the structural, developmental, and functional framework of the family’s life. (Faulkner et al, 2022). The CFAM is initially conducted using a fifteen-minute oral interview that gives an overview of relationships within and outside of the family and assists in obtaining information concerning familial support and communication networks (Leahey & Wright, 2016). Following the interview, the nurse may implement the Calgary family intervention model or CFIM, which “focuses on cognitive, affective, and behavioral domain interventions with the intent of creating change and improving family functioning” (Faulkner et al, 2022). Application of the CFAM lends to understanding the families’ unique patterns, inner workings and dynamics allowing for the application of a more individualized intentional interventions to occur from the health care professional (Faulkner et al, 2022). This assessment model also allows the nurse to better strategize how to prioritize and educate change within the familial system. Furthermore, it allows the nurse to target which individuals in the family unit are most receptive to instruct on health promotion and disease prevention programs, with the notion that modification and transformation in one individual in the family system perpetuates change in the other members of the family unit. 

 Faulkner, A., Green, S. Z., & Whitney, S. (2022). Health Promotion: Health & Wellness Across the Continuum. (Second Edition). Grand Canyon University.

https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/1000000000585/epub/Cover.htm# pp 106-110

Barnes, M. D., Hanson, C. L., Novilla, L. B., Magnusson, B. M., Crandall, A. C., & Bradford, G. (2020). Family-Centered Health Promotion: Perspectives for Engaging Families and Achieving Better Health Outcomes. Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 57, 46958020923537. https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958020923537

Leahey, M., & Wright, L. M. (2016). Application of the Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Models: Reflections on the Reciprocity Between the Personal and the Professional. Journal of family nursing, 22(4), 450–459. https://doi.org/10.1177/1074840716667972