Family Health
The family is important in promoting the health of
individuals & population; there is a great relationship
between the health behavior and the family.
All the health behavior, values, habits & risks developed
in family structure.
As a basic unit in the society, the total family can be as
the client
Definition: Two or more individuals who share a
residence or live near one another.
Depended on one another for emotional, physical or
economical support. The members of the family are selfdefined.
Why family is the focus of CHN Practice •
1. Effect of family health on individual health.
The family is interdependent network, family •
enhances the member’s growth & resistance if the
family capacity is limited then it is unable to assist
them in times of need.
What the family understand about health effect, •
health practices, eating, exercise & communication.
2. Through the family the nurse focuses on health
promotion, & health education.
. Case finding, the presence of health problems in one
member may lead to discovery of diseases & risk factors
4. When interviewing within the family context, nurses
provide family health care & clear understanding of the
individuals & their functioning.
5. Assess the family to consider as a resource of support.
6. Effect of family health on community health
If they have low level of health they will influence the
community health because they lack the recourses to
manage their own affairs.
They frequently create problems & health hazards for
others.
Money that goes for children with learning behavior
difficulties caused by problems at home.
Characteristics of healthy families
1. Facilitate interaction among members: healthy
families use both verbal & non verbal communication,
means smiling encouragingly, being available, doing an
unsolicited favor, giving a gift to convey feelings &
thoughts without words.
They are sensitive to each other. They share & •
work in collaboration with each other.
Communication is necessary to carry its basic •
function,
demonstrate affection & acceptance, promote •
identity & affiliation, guide behavior through
socialization.
2. Enhancing individual development: Healthy family
response to individual’s needs, provide freedom &
support.
E.g. support a father who loses his job. Recognizes •
the growing child’s need for independence.
The results of promoting individuality are an •
increase in competence, self- reliance social skills,
intellectual growth, and self- management.
3. Having structured environment relationship: Establish
member roles & tasks.
E.g. primary decision maker, home maker, families •
in rural areas, isolated communities is different
from those of the industrial society.
4. Active coping effort: Healthy families actively attempt
to overcome life’s problems & issues. When faced with
change they assume responsibility for coping to meet
the demands of the situation.
When one family use to cut down on meat & •
substituting their protein food.
5. Healthy Environment & life- style: Healthy families
create safe & hygienic living conditions for their
members.
Removing the potential hazards. Encourage •
balance of activity & rest.
Foster good nutrition; promote healthy emotional •
& supportive environment that lead to positive
growth of family members.
6. Regular Link with the broader community: families
maintain dynamic ties with the broader community.
Participate in external groups & activities. Join in
religious activities.
They know what is going on in the world. Attempt •
to understand significant social, economic &
political issues.
The Nursing Process in Family Health •
It is defined as a systemic, purposeful set of •
interpersonal actions, providing force for change
that is the important tool of the community health
nurse.
Family nursing process is as a systematic organized •
method of critically thinking about the family.
Characteristics of the tool
1. Nursing Process is a problem solving process at all
levels.
2. It is a management process that requires analysis of a
situation, decision making, planning, organizing,
directing & others.
3. It is a change process that works to improve various
levels of health- related systems & the way people
behave within those systems
Components of nursing process :
Application in family health
Assessment: it is the first phase of the process. That •
involves:
Collection of data. •
Interpretation of data. Using different data at the •
same time for counseling for different problems.
Collection of data: the nurse can collect a wide –
range of data but because of limited time &
resources she/he will focus on actual needs.
Sources of data collection in a community: they are •
primary & secondary.
The client is the primary. Secondary are significant •
others.
The other secondary sources include health –
team members, client records.
Methods of data collection: –
Observation, interviewing, & examination.
Observation: seeing the family & environment –
tells the nurse the about the socioeconomic
level & ability to cope using present recourses.
It depends on non-verbal communication.
Interviewing: the nurse may conduct a formal –
interview to gather a health history & to
encourage client expression.
Informal direct questioning can sometimes –
provide data about client health status &
needs.
Examination: that includes inspection, –
palpitation, percussion, applied to community
with different forms such as surveys,
screening, epidemiological research, and all
providing information in response to selected
questions for data gathering.
Family health assessment
Data collection categories: •
1. Family demographics: refers to as socioeconomic
status, age, occupation.
2. Physical environment: describes geography, climate,
and housing.
3. Psychological & spiritual environment: refers to
information as affectionate relationships, mutual
support, and promotion of member’s self- esteem.
4. Family structure & roles: includes socialization
process, division of labour.
5. Family function: refers to a family’s ability to carry out
appropriate developmental tasks.
6. Family values & beliefs: vales might deal with raising
children, making spending money.
7. Family communication patterns: include the
frequency & quality of communication within a family
and between the family and its environment.
8. Family decision making patterns: refers to how
decisions are made in a family, by whom, & how they
are implemented.
9. Family problem solving patterns: describes how a
family handles the problems, who deal with them, the
flexibility of a family to problem solving.
10. Family coping patterns: encompass how a family
handles conflicts & life changes, the nature & quality of
family support.
11. Family health behavior: refers to familial health
history, current physical health status, use of resources.
12. Family social & cultural patterns: comprises family
culture, cultural adaptation to present circumstances &
developed meaningful relationship