Family Health Assessment

A family health assessment is an important tool in formulating a health care plan for a family. This paper will discuss the nurse’s role in family assessment and how this task is performed. A nurse has an important role in health promotion. To perform these tasks the author has chosen a nuclear family. By the use of family focused open ended questions, 11 functional health patterns were covered. This principle is known as the Gordon’s functional health patterns. This assessment tool included 11 systematic principles for data collection of the family, and assists the nurses to develop a nursing diagnosis and appropriate interventions. Using Gordon’s functional health patterns, this paper will summarize …show more content…

The question about self perception-self concept pattern, revealed that the family keeps good relations with the neighborhood. The family members and relatives love each other and always help one another when solving crisis situations. They are socially active and participate in church and community services. In terms of roles and relationship patterns, the assessment was focused on the roles of each family member, and their relation to each other. The father has a part time job in the hospital and is studying for a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The mother is working full time as a nurse and is working the night shift. They both work opposite shifts to look after their children and try to take off on the same days. They both help each other in cooking, washing, and cleaning. The next question was related to sexuality and the reproductive patterns, which revealed both parents, were knowledgeable about sexual health and use of contraceptive methods. They expressed satisfaction in their sexual relationship.
The patterns of coping as stress tolerance describe the family’s ability to manage stress effectively in life. The main stressful issue was their opposite work schedule. The mother stated that she was not getting enough sleep, especially when the children get sick. They both have to work to pay off their bills, and for their children’s future education. Both parents speak with each other