Family Assessment
The three major components of a family assessment.
Structure, development, and function.
Family cycle stage that involves establishing a life together as a couple.
Coupling or marriage.
Tool that illustrates family relationships across multiple generations.
Genogram.
Theory that focuses on emotional processes and differentiation of self within families.
What is Bowen Family Systems THeory?
The first thing a nurse should do when beginning a family interview.
What is introducing self, establishing rapport, and explaining the purpose of the interview?
Describe Family structure.
Family composition, relationships, roles, subsystems, boundaries, and power structure.
One major task when children are becoming adolescents.
Adjusting parenting and family relationships to support adolescents' growing independence.
Tool shows connections between a family and outside resources.
An ecomap.
In Bowen theory, what is a family triangle?
A three-person relationship pattern that can develop when tension occurs between two people.
A family disagrees about who should be included in an assessment. What should the nurse do?
Ask family members how they define their family and whom they want involved.
Difference between routine screening and a focuses family assessment.
Routine screening identifies general concerns, a focused assessment examines specific concern in greater depth.
A major task of the launching adult children stage.
Supporting adult children's independence and adapting relationships as they leave home.
Name one type of information that can be included in a genogram.
Family members, marriages, children, significant relationships, or health history.
What does differentiation of self mean?
Maintaining independent thinking and emotional regulation while remaining connected to family members.
Name one sign of healthy family communication.
Members listen, express feelings respectfully, and exchange information clearly.
Two examples of external family systems.
Schools, workplaces, health care facilities, churches, friends, or community organizations.
A family life-cycle stage involves adapting to retirement and changes associated with aging.
Retirement or senior years.
An ecomap shows a strong connection between a family and its church. What does this help the nurse identify?
A potential source of social, emotional, or spiritual support.
According to systems theory, how can a change in one family member affect others?
Family members are interconnected, so a change in one person can influence the entire family system.
A nurse finds conflicting accounts of a family problem. What should the nurse do before making a clinical judgment?
Validate the information, ask clarifying questions, and compare findings before drawing conclusions.
Why should a nurse assess the family when one member is ill?
An illness can affect family roles, communication, stress, coping, routines, and the ability to provide care.
Identify a family's life-cycle stage important to nursing assessment.
It helps the nurse identify expected developmental tasks, transitions, strengths, and potential stressors.
How can genograms and ecomaps help a nurse plan care?
They reveal family patterns, relationships, support systems, and possible gaps or sources of stress.
What is the difference between healthy flexible boundaries and rigid boundaries?
Flexible boundaries allow appropriate connection and independence; rigid boundaries can limit communication and support.
In the Ross family case, Dan is not following his type 1 diabetes management plan and conflict is increasing. Identify one family strength, one concern, and one nursing intervention.
Possible strength: family involvement and concern for Dan.
Concern: conflict and difficulty supporting his self-management.
Intervention: facilitate respectful communication and collaborative, age-appropriate diabetes-management planning.