Family Health Assessment
Grand Canyon University Family Health Assessment-Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Grand Canyon University Family Health Assessment assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for Family Health Assessment
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Grand Canyon University Family Health Assessment depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for Family Health Assessment
The introduction for the Grand Canyon University Family Health Assessment is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.
How to Write the Body for Family Health Assessment
After the introduction, move into the main part of the Family Health Assessment assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for Family Health Assessment
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for Family Health Assessment
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Analysis of the Assessment Findings
In the United States, nuclear families correspond with several daily living stresses that undermine an attempt for a healthy focused living. Time concerns usually make such families satisfied but at the same time personally drained. For instance, lack of adequate self-care usually results in poor, healthy habits such as lack of sleep and poor diet which compromises the health of the family member (Park et al., 2018). As a result, the parents at some point experience short term benefits in terms of finances, but long term derailed as a result of poor health. A good example is of couples who are committed to their work and have less time attending to the health needs of their family. Such couples spend less time with their family members and hence fail to educate them on the benefits of healthy living such as a healthy diet and exercise in addition to preventive measures to avoid certain chronic diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular complications including high blood pressure (Russell, Beckmeyer, & Su-Russell, 2018). This paper, however, focuses on the analysis of a particular family health status in addition to addressing managerial issues that can be used to improve the health of the selected family.
The needs of the pediatric patient differ depending on age, as do the stages of development and the expected assessment findings for each stage. In a 500-750-word paper, examine the needs of a school-aged child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old and discuss the following:
- Compare the physical assessments among school-aged children. Describe how you would modify assessment techniques to match the age and developmental stage of the child.
- Choose a child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Identify the age of the child and describe the typical developmental stages of children that age.
- Applying developmental theory based on Erickson, Piaget, or Kohlberg, explain how you would developmentally assess the child. Include how you would offer explanations during the assessment, strategies you would use to gain cooperation, and potential findings from the assessment.
Structural Assessment
A family structure is divided into two, internal and external structure. Focusing on the internal structure, I decided to interview a family comprising a wife, husband and two children – a son and a daughter. The husband, Redington, is 45 years old, while his wife, Elizabeth, is 40 years old. Their son, Brandon, is 18 years old while their daughter, Bridgit, is 13. Redington is originally a Mexican American while Elizabeth is Hispanic American. Elizabeth has been working at a local bank, and recently graduated with a masters degree in finance. Raddington, on the other hand, is self-employed and manages a family business downtown. Both of them have been working so hard to provide for their family, which can be socially classified as a middle class. Brandon is attending a community college while Bridgit is still in high school. The family members are strong Christian with their children taking active roles in a Catholic church within their neighboorhood.
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Family Health Behaviour
Elizabeth usually reports to work at 8: 00 AM after taking Bridgit to school. She usually wakes up quite early to prepare breakfast (mostly bagels, cheese and egg sandwich) and do some house chores since Radingtone usually leaves the house very early to open their business store downtown. Both their children usually participate in exercise activities mostly at school, with minimum activities at home given the tight schedule of their parents. They, however, eat their healthy lunch at school courtesy of their school catering unit. During the weekends, Brandon spends most of his time hanging out with his friends while Bridgit remains at home watching her favorite TV shows and movies. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had been attending college classes on the weekends, but now that she has recently graduated, she spends most of the time in book clubs and catching up with her friends. Redington is usually free only on Sundays, of which together with the family members, they go to church in the morning and spend most of the afternoon catching up on the academic and social life of their kids. They, however, have family clinicians whom they visit once a month for a medical checkup. Generally, the health habits of the family are poor, with limited control of their exercise and eating habits.
Functional Health Pattern Strengths and Limitations
In as much as the family parents are incredibly committed to their work, they always try to maintain a healthy lifestyle as recommended by their family clinician. The clinician usually advises the family on healthy habits that can help them avoid common lifestyle diseases. For instance, there is a time that Brandon was overweight in the 3rd grade and was put on a diet, which helped manage the situation. Consequently, the clinician usually performs a health examination on all the family members regularly to address social, emotional or health constraint issues if any (Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, & Robinson, 2018). Redington, despite being busy, has provided health insurance to help cut down the medical cost of his family in case of any illnesses.
Despite the above advantages, several limitations have made the family vulnerable to several healthcare complications. For instance, failure to enhance the family activity and healthy eating habits led to Brandon becoming overweight, which is a high risk of becoming obese. Bridget’s sedentary life of watching movies on the weekend, instead of playing with other children, has also compromised her ability to socializing effectively even in school. She is usually self-withdrawn. Two years ago, Redington developed gout as a result of consuming too much meat while at work. However, these limitations can be avoided by the family if they adopt a healthy living lifestyle such as healthy eating, emotional support, exercise and social relations among others.
Application of the Family Systems Theory
The family system theory suggests that a family should function as a system with all members performing distinct roles of which adherence to specific rules is mandatory. For instance, in the above family setting, since the husband is mostly caught up maintaining the family business, the wife should take the imitative of taking most of the responsibilities during her free time to stabilize the social and health status of the family (Cianfrocca et al., 2018). However, this might create an equilibrium where the wife might feel overwhelmed and unable to perform her roles adequately. In such a case, engaging in a family system therapy seems like the only way forward such that the husband will be advised on how to balance between work and his duties as a father and husband, same to the wife, thus creating a sense of understanding and boosting their relationship. Consequently, the family members should look after each other and point out the wrongdoings that might undermine their health and social stability.
Conclusion
The health assessment of a particular family is integral in that it helps ensure that all the family members maintain a healthy lifestyle. The family clinicians will be able to point out the shortcomings of the family and recommend appropriate intervention to help the family maintain a healthy lifestyle based on the findings of the assessment (Peterson-Burch, 2018). Consequently, the clinicians will be able to identify the cultural and religious beliefs of the family that might help in formulating an appropriate treatment plan in future in case of any health complications. Generally, family health assessment should be encouraged regularly to enhance a healthy lifestyle which is the most appropriate preventive measure to avoid exposing the family member to risk factors that might undermine their health.
References
In Kaakinen, J. R., In Coehlo, D. P., In Steele, R., & In Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Cianfrocca, C., Caponnetto, V., Donati, D., Lancia, L., Tartaglini, D., & Di, S. E. (December 01, 2018). The effects of a multidisciplinary education course on the burden, health literacy and needs of family caregivers. Applied Nursing Research, 44, 100-106.
Park, M., Giap, T.-T.-T., Lee, M., Jeong, H., Jeong, M., & Go, Y. (November 01, 2018). Patient- and family-centered care interventions for improving the quality of health care: A review of systematic reviews. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 87, 69-83.
Russell, L. T., Beckmeyer, J. J., & Su-Russell, C. (January 10, 2018). Family-Centered Care and Positive Developmental Outcomes for Youth With Special Health Care Needs Variations Across Family Structures. Journal of Family Nursing, 241, 29-59.
Peterson-Burch, F. M. (January 01, 2018). Family Matters: The Nurse’s Role in Assessing Family Health History in Ocular Disease. Insight (American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses), 43(4), 23-25.
A family refers to a primary group of people living in a household in consistent proximity and intimate relationship. Family health is determined by the interaction of factors in the family’s external and internal environment (Michaelson et al., 2021). Family health assessment entails identifying these internal and external factors, which are vital in assessing the health-illness factors that affect family health. The purpose of this paper is to analyze my findings from a family health assessment.
Family Structure
I interviewed family N, an African American nuclear family with six family members, two parents, and four children. Mr. N is 58, and Mrs. N is 55, and they have been married for close to 33 years. Mr. N has a diploma in education and is an elementary school teacher. Mrs. N studied up to the high school level and worked as a storekeeper in a high school. The firstborn (female) is 30 years and married with one child. She has a Bachelor’s in education and is a high-school teacher. The second-born (male) is 26 years, single, and works in the Military. The third-born (male) is 23 years; he is a nursing student at a community college. The fourth-born (female) is 15 years and is in high school. Family N falls under the working social class with an average household income of $50,000. The family members are Catholics and attend mass at least twice a month. Mrs. N is a church choir member, and the family attends monthly fellowships in the neighborhood. The family lives in Greenville, KY, in a rural neighborhood. They report access to healthcare services but limited transport options.
Family Health and Health Behaviors
Family N is in relatively good health with no chronic illnesses among the family members. Healthy behaviors noted in the family include eating healthy meals and engaging in physical activity. Mrs. N mentioned that she prepares healthy meals for the family. The family has a kitchen garden where they have planted vegetables and rear chicken. The garden is a source of daily fresh vegetables and fruits for the family. Mr. and Mrs. N also reported that they often walk to work a distance that takes 10-15 minutes, which keeps them physically active. They also attend to their garden on weekends, keeping them physically active. Mr. and Mrs. N have health insurance provided by their employers. However, they reported that they do not attend annual check-ups unless they are ill. Other unhealthy behaviors include smoking and alcohol consumption, particularly in Mr. N. He reports smoking 1PPD and taking 3-4 beers daily.
Functional Health Patterns Strengths, Health Problems or Barriers to Health
Functional health pattern strengths were identified in Nutrition and Activity/Exercise patterns. In the Nutrition pattern, the family takes healthy meals with high vegetable and fruit servings sourced from their garden. Junk foods, processed foods, and drinks with added sugars are hardly taken in the family. Mrs. N insists on healthy dietary habits in the family since she knows the health risks of high-fat and salty foods. Under the Activity/Exercise pattern, the family engages in regular physical activity like walking and gardening. Mr. N coaches students in football, which has made him physically fit. Mrs. N mentions that daily walks and eating healthy foods have helped her to maintain a healthy weight.
Problems and barriers to health were identified in the functional patterns of Values/Health Perception, Sleep/Rest, and Role-Relationship. Problems identified in the Values/Health Perception pattern include the family members failing to attend preventive screening activities and annual medical check-ups (Khatiban et al., 2019). Mrs. N has not adhered to the recommended breast and cervical cancer screenings, while Mr. N has never had a PSA test. In the Sleep/Rest pattern, some family members reported having problems maintaining sleep and insomnia. Mr. N stated that he takes beer in the evening to help with sleep, and he often feels he is not adequately rested after waking up. Problems in the Role-Relationship pattern include impaired relationships among family members (Butcher & Jones, 2021). Mrs. N often gets into arguments with Mr. N due to his daily drinking habits and his spending habits. Besides, Mr. N has a poor connection with his first-born daughter due to his poor spending habits.
Application of Family Systems Theory
Family Systems Theory (FST) explains human behavior through a complex web of emotional processes in a person’s family, social systems, and work. The theory outlines how emotional interdependence among family members influences a person’s character and life decisions (Milberg et al., 2020). Any change in one family member will likely affect the whole family and foster behavior changes in other members. Thus, FST can promote behavior change among one family member (Calatrava et al., 2022). Since family members are strongly emotionally connected, behavior change in one member will influence others to change.
Conclusion
Family N is a nuclear, working-class, African American family comprising six members. The family is in relatively good health and has notable healthy behavior, like engaging in physical activities and healthy dietary habits. However, unhealthy behaviors were noted smoking, alcohol consumption, and non-adherence to annual medical check-ups and screenings. FST can be used to promote behavior change among family members by focusing on the interactions between the family members.
References
Butcher, R. D. C. G., & Jones, D. A. (2021). An integrative review of comprehensive nursing assessment tools developed based on Gordon’s Eleven Functional Health Patterns. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 32, 294-307. https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-3095.12321
Calatrava, M., Martins, M. V., Schweer-Collins, M., Duch-Ceballos, C., & Rodríguez-González, M. (2022). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen Family Systems Theory’s core construct. Clinical psychology review, 91, 102101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102101
Khatiban, M., Tohidi, S., & Shahdoust, M. (2019). The effects of applying an assessment form based on the health functional patterns on nursing student’s attitudes and skills in developing the nursing process. International Journal of nursing sciences, 6(3), 329–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.06.004
Michaelson, V., Pilato, K. A., & Davison, C. M. (2021). Family as a health promotion setting: A scoping review of conceptual models of the health-promoting family. PloS one, 16(4), e0249707. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249707
Milberg, A., Liljeroos, M., Wåhlberg, R., & Krevers, B. (2020). Sense of support within the family: a cross-sectional study of family members in palliative home care. BMC palliative care, 19(1), 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00623-z