Reference no: EM132850872

Theoretical Basis for Promoting Family Health

The family as the unit of service has received increasing emphasis in nursing over the years. Today, family nursing has an important place in nursing practice, particularly in community health nursing. The community health nurse is reviewing with the student nurses the key concepts about the theoretical basis for family health. The students are being asked questions about family characteristics and the stages of the family life cycle.

Discussion 1. Families share universal characteristics with every other family. These characteristics provide an important key to understanding each family's uniqueness. What are five of the most important family characteristics that community health nurses must recognize and consider in their practice?

Discussion 2. The community health nurse is sitting in a living room talking with a young mother about her new infant. The community nurse finds it is difficult to keep in mind that all the other family members are present by way of their influence. Systems theory offers some insights about how families operate as social systems. Knowing the attributes of living systems or open systems can help strengthen understanding of family structure and function. What are five attributes of open systems that help explain how families function?

Discussion 3. The community health nurse is sitting in a living room talking with a young mother about her new infant. There are two broad stages in the family life cycle. What are the two broad stages in the family life cycle and what stage is this young mother with a new infant?

Discussion 4. In US society, certain social institutions help perform some aspects of traditional family functions. What are the six functions that are typical of American families today and are essential for the maintenance and promotion of family health?