Family Running head: Family Assessment

My Sister’s Keeper
Assessment of the Fitzgerald Family

SBSN 360P Professor D. Hoitt, MSN, RN
21 March 2013

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selective assessment of the functional status of the Fitzgerald family. This premise of this assessment is to define areas of strength and or weakness is the family system. Due to the limited amount of contact with its members, this evaluation is not to be viewed as a comprehensive and exhaustive list of findings for this social unit. This is merely a limited overview of the family’s ability to cope and grow in spite of the chronic condition of promyelocytic leukemia in the eldest daughter.

Identifying Data “My …show more content…

The Fitzgerald’s again exemplify the typical Caucasian upper middle class suburban family in their lack of religious foundation (Cassavetes, 2009).

Family Development
According to Duvall’s stages of family development, the Fitzgerald family fits into stage five: family with adolescent children. The family in stage five should be working towards the point of release for the oldest child. This is a period when the parents should be able to take part of their focus and direct it back towards their marriage and career goals (RNpedia). There is little evidence that this family has been working towards the goal of acceptance of their teen’s social or sexual role changes. Up to the point that Kate dies, all of the focus and energies of the family are exhausted in the effort to keep her there with them. Very little attention is focused on either of the other two children, as evidenced by the scene where Jesse is being prepared to be shipped to a school for the year, because the parents are unable to help him with his dyslexia. (Cassavetes, 2009) Abhorrently missing are at least two of Duvall’s family tasks; 1. Socialization of family and 2. Placement of members into larger society (RNpedia). Environmental Data Sara Fitzgerald has given up her career so that she can devote all of her time and energies caring for Kate as her disease progressed. While Sara seems to have grown into the role of a stay at home