Nursing Assessment On Family Health

Family health nurses recognize that the health of an individual impacts how the family functions. To identify family stressors during illness, the nurses perform a comprehensive nursing assessment to gather information. The nurse analyzes this information to identify health needs, develop care plan strategies, and set mutual goals. The Nurse engages families from the first point of contact and over successive visits, learns more about them. If family members develop a trusting relationship with the nurse, they are more likely to share information and follow the nurse’s suggestions, advice and interventions (Rowe Kaakinen, Padgett Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco, & Harmon Hansen 2015). Nurses use a variety of tools to gather information from the …show more content…
The analysis shows that the family has a few strong, positive relationships, some stressful relationships, and some weak relationships that could be strengthened. The ecomap identifies three strong relationships that support family health and function. Lori and Mason have a loving relationship with Lori’s parents. They help the family financially and physically. When extra expenses for the kids pop up, they offer to cover them. They take Brent to his physician appointments to prevent Lori from missing work. Lori and her son have a great relationship with his health care team. They have addressed Brent’s diabetes, and it is now under control, and he is healthier because of it. Lori also has a strong relationship with her coworkers. She uses them as a sounding board and often seeks their …show more content…
The family attended church in the past, but when Lori and Mason started back to school, they stopped going. The spiritual and social benefits were a source of emotional comfort and stress relief for the family. Another relationship that the family could strengthen is the relationship with Randy’s parents. Even though Randy is unable to help the kids due to his drug dependency, his parents could be a source of emotional, financial or physical support.
For the family to become healthy, the nurse helps them address the stressful relationships among each other and outside the family. Lori and Mason need assistance with stress management, time management and communication skills. Lori and Kim need a mediator to help them set aside their difference and renew their relationship as mother and daughter. Kim and Brent have a negative, stressful relationship with their father, but it would be difficult to strengthen their relationship with him because of his drug dependency. They need help coming to terms with how his addiction impacts various aspects of their