Child and Family Nursing Assessment Report: Jenson Family Analysis

This report provides a detailed child and family nursing assessment of the Jenson family, addressing various health issues faced by its members. The report begins with a justification for family assessment, emphasizing its holistic approach to client-centered care and its role in identifying health needs. It then describes the nursing assessment process, focusing on the use of a genogram as a tool to map family medical history and relationships, highlighting its strengths and limitations. The report identifies and discusses several family issues, including the slow progress of Grant, Jessie's developmental delays, Sheila's health issues, and the lack of time Scott has for the family. It outlines nursing goals to address these issues, such as assessing current family situations, diagnosing problems, and developing and implementing plans to improve the health conditions of both Grant and Jessie. The report also suggests solutions, such as providing more parental support and access to transportation, emphasizing the importance of family assessment in improving overall family health and well-being.

Child and Family Nurse

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART One: Justification of the family assessment.........................................................................1
PART Two: The Nursing Assessment of a Family.........................................................................1
PART three: Identification and Discussion of Family Issues..........................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................6
Appendix..........................................................................................................................................8

TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Genogram symbols...........................................................................................................8

PART ONE: JUSTIFICATION OF THE FAMILY ASSESSMENT
Family assessment can be defined as a holistic approach which plays an important role in
ensuring health of each and every individual, communities and families to ensure that care
remains client cantered. It focuses on assuring about that family is recognised their health needs
and address them by planning appropriate strategies to fulfil all needs (Jacob and Tennenbaum,
2013). It is generally used by different families for resolving health and associated issues. It is
also known as illness care model. As per the given case study information Jenson family needs a
proper family assessment because there are number of members of this family are facing health
issues which are affecting Sheila health in negative manner. Family assessment includes
different areas such as likes and dislikes of the family members, availability of resources to the
family, determining the current health care problems, etc. so, family assessment plays important
role in determining needs and requirements of Sheila and her children (Nichols and Tafuri,
2013).
Undertaking a family assessment is important to understand the situation of family and
children of Sheila. It is also beneficial for determining the client’s wants to resolve the health
issues. Along with this, it is also beneficial for assessing personal and environmental strengths of
the Sheila. Family assessment includes discussion and survey about the health concern with the
Sheila and her children by which nurse can get information about the medical problems of every
individual (Du and et.al, 2014). Health assessment of family also include a complete review of
medicines and related instructions which are prescribed by the doctor. So, it helps in determining
impact of these medicines on individuals for resolving their health issues. Overall, family
assessment is beneficial for analysing the current situations of family members and reasons
behind their health problems by which nurses can get appropriate solution to resolve issues
associated with the family problems (Thomlison, 2015).
PART TWO: THE NURSING ASSESSMENT OF A FAMILY
As per the above discussion researcher wants to assess the Jonson family situation. There
are number of tools and techniques which play important role in conducting family assessment
such as genogram, Eco-map, AFSNAG, Calgary, etc. As per the assessment of the family
background researcher has decided to select Genogram tool. It can be defined as a family tree
which helps in representing an individual’s family medical history and relationships. It includes a
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system of symbol which can easily illustrate pattern that occur from generation to generation of
Jonson and Sheila. It is also an important tool which can be used by other clinical practitioners
and nurses for future assessment. It helps in describing and analysing relationship of every
participants with each other (Campbell and Templin, 2014). Genogram uses different symbol for
each and every activity in Jonson family and their relationship.
Genogram focuses on the family history of Sheila and Scott which helps in increasing
awareness of unbelievable facts which are associated with their life. For instance, on the basis of
Genogram and family history of both has reflected that Scott is much elder than Sheila and their
age gap is more than 20 years which increases difference between their thinking and behaviour
which have negative impacts on Sheila and their children (Pilecki, Józefik and Sałapa, 2012).
Along with this, Scott did not have time for his family because of lots of work which increases
load on Sheila. Along with this, Genogram also focuses on the different other relations such as
their children, parents and sisters, etc. Therefore, these assessment and information help in
increasing awareness about the health issues of every individuals by which nurse can suggest
appropriate solution to resolve these problems (Mellor, Xu, Wong and Richardson, 2014).
Only determining the family history is not important for using this tool because there are
lots of other requirements also such ad skills and knowledge about understanding hereditary
perpetual patterns. Including this, solitary notion of these genogram also include inherited
medical conditions, psychology, social work and others, etc (Boterhoven de Haan and et.al,
2015). Genealogy software can also be used by medical professionals for developing genogram
of the Johnson family. This software works with the in-depth detail of Sheila and her family and
children such as birth of grant and Jessie, place of living, distance from main city, availability of
transportation and other resources for family members, marriage conditions and life, death of
parents, relationship with other in family members such as Mary and Keith (Sheila’s parents),
Brydey (Scott’s mother) Sheila’s sister, Scarlet and her husband, etc (Barkley and Robin, 2014).
Major strength of this tool is that it represents visual presentation of the entire family by
which nurse can easily determining relationship between each and every family members. It is
beneficial for determining different issues such as bio-psychosocial, psychosocial and doctor and
patient issues. Using this tool nurses can determine different issues such as Anxiety, depression,
child behaviour issues, angry and demanding patients, etc (Mainstone, 2014). Along with this,
genogram is beneficial for a systematic medical record keeping which can be easily read by any
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medical professional. In addition, graphic format easily identify different generations and
biomedical issues of each and every family members of Johnson. It becomes very easy to assess
the connection between family context and illness. Genogram is beneficial for identifying illness
pattern, and make availability of patient education. So, all these are known as major strength of
genogram. But, it has some limitations also such as it has small scoop because it focuses on the
last few generations of the family (Shek and Law, 2015). Using this tool nurse can miss out other
parents that would emerge from the larger context. Perspective and memories of the person who
made this genogram plays important role in accuracy of family tree of Sheila. In case of missing
of a single point some relationship can be missed which can create problem in family health
assessment. So, Genogram is one of the complex toll so, nurse needs to have appropriate skills
and knowledge about the use of this tool in effective manner (Falloon, 2015).
PART THREE: IDENTIFICATION AND DISCUSSION OF FAMILY
ISSUES
Genogram tool has been used by nurse for assessing the Johnson family. There are
several identified issues associated with the family such as slow progress of Grant, Jessie’s
developmental progress, health issues of Sheila, transportation issues, lack of time of Scott for
family, etc. In which study focuses on slow progress of grant and Jessie’s development progress
(Wright and Leahey, 2012).
First issue was that Grant did not have proper progress because family assessment has
reflected that he has not gained any weight since discharge from hospital. Along with this, he is a
premature baby so he suffered from different other health issues also. He is not even toilet trend
and breast feeding is also one of the major issue for Sheila.
Nursing goal to address the identified issue from the family are assessing the current
family situations and collect data to determine issues associated with grant. Diagnosing the
actual problem of Grant and Sheila (Song, Deatrick, Feetham and Levin, 2013). To identify
outcomes is also one of the major goal of nursing which can be considered as a phase of
planning. Another goal of nursing it to develop appropriate plan to manage the health issues of
Grant, Nursing goal includes implementation process of plan into action. Including this, nurse
wants to determine the scientific reasons of the implementations. Including this, evaluation of
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work is also one of the important goal which can improve the health conditions of Grant
(Sherman and Fredman, 2013).
After developing nursing goal it can be analysed that clinical professional can provide
appropriate solution to Sheila to resolve issue of Grant by which he can gain appropriate weight
and reduce the frequency of breast feeding. As per the nurse Scott needs to give proper time to
Sheila and his children. It helps in reducing the stress and burden of Sheila which will improve
health condition of Sheila as well by which she can take care of her children in better manner.
Including this, Sheila and Scott needs to live at a place which is near by the public transportation
by which Sheila can do all outside task of home by which she can manage each and every thing
in better way. Including this, as per the suggestion of nurse Sheila needs to take rest and deep
sleep which will improve her health conditions and improve her family context also. Overall,
nursing is one of the better solution to resolve issue of Grant and Sheila (Rao, 2016).
On the other hand, there are lots of another issues which are related to the health of
Johnson health. As per the genogram family assessment Jessie development progress is very
slow which discover that she is delayed in a number of key motor, language and psychosocial
behaviours. Including this, it has also identified that Jessie is not even toilet trained so, Sheila
wants to train her. Including this, Jessie does not sleep well and eating very little. These issues
affect her development progress in negative manner. For providing better training Sheila wants
to take her to a day care centre but this is also too far away by public transport so it is not
possible to Sheila to train her at day care centre. Including this, nurse has also noticed that Jessie
is still sucking her thumb. Overall, low development progress of Jessie is the major issue for
Sheila (Children in Child Welfare: Comprehensive Functional Family Assessment Practice
Bulletin. 2008).
After assessing this issue nursing goal is to critically analyse the family situation because
of them Jessie is suffering from low development progress issue. Family assessment goal is to
make a diagnosis of the actual issue of Jessie and Sheila. Planning phase also focuses on to
determine outcomes of the medical issue. Nursing goal also shed lights on developing
appropriate plan to manage different health problems of Jessie (Jacob and Tennenbaum, 2013).
Along with this, implementation of this plan is also one of the major goal of nursing.
Determining scientific reasons behind Jessie’s health issue is also considered as major goal of
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nursing. Monitoring and evaluation of work is also considered as major nursing goal. It helps in
taking appropriate action to improve health conditions of Jessie.
Family assessment of the Johnson family helps in getting appropriate action to improve
Jessie development process. As per the nurse proper time of parent and their care affect
development progress of a child. In case of Sheila is a single parents who has time for her child
because Scoot did not have much time to take care of his child (Sherman and Fredman, 2013).
Including this, Sheila is also suffering from some crucial health issues due to them she is not
capable enough to train her child Jessie for toilet and other self-activities which reduce her
development growth. As per the nurse, Jessie need an attention or diagnosis of a doctor so,
Sheila needs to take her to hospital but Sheila does not have appropriate transportation facilities.
So, Sheila needs to purchase a car. It will help her to go hospital to take care of Jessie as well as
she can take her to day care facilities which will train her to complete her daily activities (Du and
et.al, 2014).
Overall, the current research has concluded that family assessment is one of the important
task for assessing family health. Along with this, it is also important for addressing medical
issues which have negative impact on health conditions of different family members. As per the
above discussion genogram is one of the important family assessment tool which plays important
role in assessing family health of Johnson, it has also helped in identifying two different issues
such as grant development progress and Jessie health conditions. Therefore, nurse has provided
appropriate solution to resolve these medical problems in effective manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Barkley, R. A., & Robin, A. L. (2014). Defiant teens: A clinician's manual for assessment and
family intervention. Guilford Publications.
Boterhoven de Haan, K. L., Hafekost, J., Lawrence, D., Sawyer, M. G., & Zubrick, S. R. (2015).
Reliability and validity of a short version of the general functioning subscale of the
McMaster Family Assessment Device. Family process, 54(1), 116-123.
Campbell, M. L., & Templin, T. N. (2014). RDOS-Family: a guided learning tool for layperson
assessment of respiratory distress. Journal of palliative medicine, 17(9), 982-983.
Du, N., Ran, M. S., Liang, S. G., SiTu, M. J., Huang, Y., Mansfield, A. K., & Keitner, G. (2014).
Comparison of family functioning in families of depressed patients and nonclinical
control families in China using the Family Assessment Device and the Family
Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 26(1), 47-
56.
Falloon, I. R. (Ed.). (2015). Handbook of behavioural family therapy. Routledge.
Jacob, T., & Tennenbaum, D. L. (2013). Family assessment: Rationale, methods and future
directions. Springer Science & Business Media.
Mainstone, F. (2014). Mastering Whole Family Assessment in Social Work: Balancing the needs
of children, adults and their families. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Mellor, D., Xu, X., Wong, J., & Richardson, B. (2014). The factor structure of the Chinese
Family Assessment Instrument adapted for parent report. Assessment, 21(1), 60-66.
Nichols, M., & Tafuri, S. (2013). Techniques of structural family assessment: A qualitative
analysis of how experts promote a systemic perspective. Family process, 52(2), 207-215.
Pilecki, M. W., Józefik, B., & Sałapa, K. (2012). [The relationship between assessment of family
relationships and depression in girls with various types of eating disorders]. Psychiatria
polska, 47(3), 385-395.
Shek, D. T., & Law, M. Y. (2015). Assessment of parent-child subsystem qualities in Chinese
adolescents: behavioral control, psychological control and parent-child relational
qualities. International Journal of Child Health and Human Development, 8(2), 207.
Sherman, R., & Fredman, N. (2013). Handbook of measurements for marriage and family
therapy. Routledge.
Song, M., Deatrick, J. A., Feetham, S. L., & Levin, A. (2013). A Review of Diabetes Mellitus–
Specific Family Assessment Instruments. Western journal of nursing research, 35(4),
405-433.
Thomlison, B. (2015). Family assessment handbook: An introductory practice guide to family
assessment. Nelson Education.
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Wright, L. M., & Leahey, M. (2012). Nurses and families: A guide to family assessment and
intervention. FA Davis.
Online
Rao, P., (2016). Genogram The hope of preserving Family history. [Online]. Available through:
< https://medium.com/@prasoona.srao/genogram-the-hope-of-preserving-family-history-
4f8426db91bf#.ggfj5yawz>. [Accessed on 2nd November 2016].
Children in Child Welfare: Comprehensive Functional Family Assessment Practice Bulletin.
(2008). [pdf]. Available through:
<http://dhs.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/Assessment.pdf>. [Accessed on 2nd November
2016].
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APPENDIX
Figure 1: Genogram symbols
(Source: Rao, P., 2016)
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