Fundamental SG Ch 10 Caring for families

Question 1

Define the 3 important attributes that characterize contemporary families
A. durability
B. Resiliency
C. Diversity

Answer 1

Durability is the intrafamilial system of support and structure that extends beyond the walls of the household.

Resiliency is the ability of the family to cope with expected and unexpected stressors

Diversity is the uniqueness of each family unit; each person has specific needs, strengths, and important developmental considerations.

Question 2

Define: family

Answer 2

*A family is defined biologically, legally, or as a social network with personally constructed ties and ideologies

Question 3

Nuclear family:

Answer 3

consists of the husband and the wife and perhaps one ore more children

Question 4

Extended family:

Answer 4

includes relatives in addition to the nuclear family.

Question 5

Single-parent family:

Answer 5

one parent leaves the nuclear family because of death, divorce, or desertion or when a single person decides to have or adopt a child.

Question 6

Blended family:

Answer 6

parents bring unrelated children from prior or foster-parenting relationships into a new joint living situation.

Question 7

Alternative family:

Answer 7

includes multi-adult households, ski generation families and communal groups with children, non-families, cohabiting partner, and homosexual partners.

Question 8

Explain the following threat and concern facing the family.

Changing economic status

Answer 8

two income families have become the norm, but the incomes have not increased. Families at the lower end of the income scale have been particularly affected, and single parent families are especially vulnerable.

Question 9

Explain the following threat and concern facing the family.

Homelessness

Answer 9

Homelessness severely affects the functioning, health, and well being of the family and its members. Children of homeless families are often in fair or poor health and have higher rates of asthma, ear infections, stomach problems, mental illness.

Question 10

Explain the following threat and concern facing the family.

Family violence

Answer 10

Emotional physical and sexual abuse occurs toward spouses children and older adults across all social classes. Factors are complex and may include stress, poverty, social isolation, psychopathology and learning family behavior.

Question 11

Explain the following threat and concern facing the family.

Acute illness

Answer 11

Family members are left in waiting rooms to anticipate information about their loved one.

Question 12

Explain the following threat and concern facing the family.

Chronic illness

Answer 12

Family patterns and interactions, social activities, work and household schedules; economic resources must be reorganized around the illness or disability.

Question 13

Explain how the following event might impact caring for the family.
Trauma

Answer 13

Family members need to cope with the challenges of a severe, life-threatening event that includes many stressors and may impact the family’s functioning and decision-making.

Question 14

Explain how the following event might impact caring for the family.
End of life

Answer 14

The family’s need for information, support, assurance, and presence are great. The more you know about the family, how they interact, and their strengths in their weaknesses, the better.

Question 15

Summarize the following general perspectives when providing nursing care to the family as a whole and the patient.

Family health system:

Answer 15

Interactive, developmental, coping, integrity, and health.

Question 16

Summarize the following general perspectives when providing nursing care to the family as a whole and the patient.

Developmental stages

Answer 16

Each stage has its own challenges, needs, and resources and includes tasks that need to be completed before the family is able to successfully move on to the next stage.

Question 17

Structure may enhance or detract fro the family’s ability to respond to stressors. Briefly explain each of the following.

A. Rigid structure
B. open structure

Answer 17

A rigid structure dictates who is able to accomplish a task and may limit the number of persons outside the immediate family who assumes these task.

An open structure consistent patterns of behavior that lead to automatic actions do not exist, and enactment of roles is overly flexible.

Question 18

Family functioning focuses on the process used by the family to achieve its goals. Identify these processes.

Answer 18

Communication among family members, goal setting, conflict resolution, caregiving, nurturing, and use of internal and external resources.

Question 19

Identify the variables that affect the structure, function and health of a family.

Answer 19

Its relative position in society, economic resources, and geographical boundaries affect the structure, function, and health of a family

Question 20

Explain the following attributes of healthy families.
A. Hardiness:
B. Resiliency

Answer 20

Hardiness is the internal strengths and durability of the family unit.

Resiliency helps to evaluate healthy responses when individuals and families are experiencing stressful events.

Question 21

Briefly explain: Family as context

Answer 21

The primary focus is on the health and development of an individual member existing within a specific environment.

Question 22

Briefly explain: Family as patient

Answer 22

Family processes and relationships are the primary focus of nursing care. Need to focus on family patterns versus individual characteristics.

Question 23

Briefly explain: Family as system

Answer 23

Uses both family as context and family as patient simultaneously.

Question 24

Name the three factors that underlie the family approach to the nursing process/

Answer 24

• The nurse views all individuals within the family context.
• Families have an impact on individuals.
• Individuals have an impact on families.

Question 25

Identify the 5 areas to include in the family assessment.

Answer 25

• Interactive
• Developmental
• Coping
• Integrity
• Health processes

Question 26

Summarize the challenges for family nursing in relation to each of the following.

A. Discharge planning
B. Cultural diversity

Answer 26

Discharge planning- requires an accurate assessment of what will be needed for care at the time of discharge along with any shortcomings in the home setting.

Cultural diversity- requires recognizing not only diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds of patients but also the differences and similarities within the same family.

Question 27

Explain Heath promotion

Answer 27

Has to do with improving or maintaining the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the family unit and its members.

Question 28

Explain Family strengths

Answer 28

Include clear communication, adaptability, healthy child-rearing practices, support and nurturing among family members, and the use of crisis for growth.

Question 29

Explain Acute care

Answer 29

Be aware of the implication of early discharge for the patients and their families.

Question 30

Explain Restorative and continuing care

Answer 30

Focuses on maintaining a patient’s functional abilities within the context of the family, as well as finding ways to better the lives of the chronically ill and disabled.

Question 31

Identify the conflicts that affect the “sandwich generation.”

Answer 31

• Conflicting responsibilities for aging parents, children, spouse, and job.
• Frequently tries to do it all.
• May not recognize need for help or may not request help.

Question 32

Family structure can be described as:

1. A complex set of relationships.
2. A basic pattern of predictable stages
3. the pattern of relationships and ongoing membership.
4. Flexible patterns that contribute to adequate functioning.

Answer 32

2. A basic pattern of predictable stages

These processes include communication, goal setting, conflict resolution, caregiving, nurturing, and the use of internal and external resources.

Question 33

When planning care for a patient and using the concept of family as patient, the nurse:

1. Includes only the patient and his or her significant other.
2. Considers the developmental stage of the patient and not the family.
3. Understands that the patient’s family will always be a help to the patient’s health goals.
4. Realizes that cultural background is an important variable when assessing the family.

Answer 33

3. Understands that the patient’s family will always be a help to the patient’s health goals.

Focus the nursing assessment of family patterns (structure, function, belief, values) versus individualized characteristics.

Question 34

Interventions used by the nurse when providing care to a rigidly structured family include:

1. attempting to change the family structure.
2. Proving solutions for problems as they arise
3. Exploring with the family the benefits of moving toward more flexible modes of action.
4. administering nursing care in a manner that provides minimal opportunity for change

Answer 34

3. Exploring with the family the benefits of moving toward more flexible modes of action.

Very rigid structures impair functioning.