Family Nursing: Theory and Practice - Essay Example

"Family Nursing: Theory and Practice" is a perfect example of a paper on care. Nursing is a discipline that mainly revolves around three key concepts; one, it is concerned with the principles and laws that govern the processes of life, well-being, and the optimal functions of human beings, sick or well. Secondly, it is concerned with the patterning of human behavior in interaction with the environment in normal life events and critical life situations. Finally, nursing is a discipline that is concerned with the process by which positive changes in health status are affected (Friedman, Bowden & Jones, 2003).

Family nursing, on the other hand, is concerned with the way in which the discipline of nursing addresses family issues such as environmental issues of the family, family well-being, and general health issues of the family. However, still, different scholars have come up with different nursing models to explain the concept of family nursing in a more defined manner. The main theories, however, include; Florence Nightingale’s Environment model, Roy’s Adaptation Model, Neuman’s Health systems Model, and Orem’s Self-care model. These theorists all explain family nursing differently. Taking for instance; Orem views a family as a basic conditioning unit based on a single individual while Neuman explains a family to be a system composed of many family members.

Another theory used is the family systems theory which divides family systems into two; open family systems and closed family systems. Open family systems welcome new ideas, information, and technological issues while closed family systems are resistant to change and view it as a threat. The closed family systems are therefore rigid and do not accept or adapt to changes within their environment.

The family systems theory also asserts that family systems are made up of subsystems which are either family individuals or family relatives. Relations subsystems include; spouse subsystem, parent-child subsystem, and the sibling subsystem. The theory mainly supports the open family system and emphasizes that a healthy family should be flexible and open to change. One hindrance to family happiness provided by the theory is stress. Stress can be horrific for a family and it is the duty of the family members to solve it before it makes the family unstable.

Family nursing is thus a subject that is wide and which keeps on growing with each passing day. It could also be defined as the care to families and family members in health and illness situations. A family nurse will therefore conduct his or her work depending on his or her conception concerning the idea of family. Some will conceive it as a single client while others as a sum of family members. Others still, will take it to be a component of society.

In its growth, however, family nursing has managed to focus on three specific areas which include; parent-child health, community health, psychiatric-mental health, and family and pediatric health. The main goal of family nursing however includes health promotion and disease prevention. Other goals are termed are tertiary and secondary. With these three taken care of, family nursing is thought to be on the verge of achieving all its goals and objectives.

Regardless, the discipline of family nursing also faces some challenges in its operation.  The main challenges observed include; globalization, the shifting of power from the provider to family, the need to make family nursing more practical to family, and the need for family nurses to become more involved in influencing policies impacting families.

In spite of the fact that most of these challenges will hold family nursing back, with the help of society and the family members, it still has the potential. The family members especially have a key role to play in the provision of support and assistance.

 

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