Deck 14: Family-Focused Nursing Actions

Question 1

Identify three core family processes and areas of concern that require the attention of the nurse in illness experiences.

Answer 1

Example of answers:
Communication: Family silence about a family illness or diagnosis.
Caregiving: Fatigue and stress with long-term care of a family member with a chronic illness.
Cathexis: Chronic sorrow, loss, and ambiguous loss.
Celebration: Loss with changes in celebration rituals.
Change: Family needing to make lifestyle change in diet or exercise.
Connectedness: Family lacks relationships with connections of extended family, friends, support groups, schools, religious affiliations, employers, and professionals.
Coordination: Family may have difficulties in making decisions about care of a family member.
A number of core family process and concerns emerge during a family illness experience. The nurse can have an impact and influence a variety of core processes by identifying concerns and directing nursing actions.

Question 2

Family interventions in the core process of connections focus on which of the following?

A) Discussing a family genogram and ecomap
B) Completing a chronic sorrow assessment
C) Engaging a family in motivational interviewing
D) Facilitating family decision-making

Answer 2

Discussing a family genogram and ecomap

Question 3

A nurse is making a visit to the home following a family member's discharge from the hospitalization. Which of the following data would be most helpful?

A) Identify potential areas of strengths in the family.
B) Plan for family care based on assessment of core processes.
C) View the priority of the home visit as the individual who was hospitalized.
D) Conduct a family assessment that remains focused on management of the symptoms.

Answer 3

Plan for family care based on assessment of core processes.

Question 4

Which of the following statements reflect an understanding of family-focused nursing actions? A nurse who is implementing family-focused nursing actions:

A) Partners with a family
B) Assesses family core processes
C) Identifies both the strengths and the concerns of a family
D) All of the above

Question 5

Identify nursing actions that relate to three of the core family processes of communication, caregiving and cathexis.

Question 6

Identify nursing actions that relates to three of the core family processes of connectedness, change, and coordination.

Question 7

A nurse is caring for a patient with a terminal diagnosis of a brain tumor. The family and patient wish for him to be in their home during the end of his life. The family has decided hospice will become involved. Which of the following nursing actions address priority core processes at this time?

A) Determine the number of family members available to participate in care.
B) Helping the family determine the ways they will celebrate holidays after the death.
C) Discuss the communication patterns and emotional bonds of the family at this time and prior to the illness.
D) Identify the health routines of the family that need to be modified so family health can be regained.

Question 8

A nurse is caring for a 62-year-old woman with respiratory failure who has an advance directive that indicates her wishes related to resuscitation. The woman has two adult children and a husband who express differing views about the directive. The nurse decides to lead a family meeting. Which of the following would be the best purposes of this particular family meeting?

A) Provide information that convinces the family to follow the health-care team's directions.
B) Assist individual family members to share individual beliefs and understandings.
C) Increase efficiency of the nurse by decreasing the number of questions.
D) Create an environment where prior stresses and conflicts can be resolved.

Question 9

Which of the following statements reflect an accurate understanding family core processes?

A) Core family processes focus on family structure
B) Core processes influence the health of family, rather than the individual
C) Core family processes can guide family nursing practices.
D) Nursing actions focused on family core processes focus on individual with an illness.

Question 10

After years of caregiving in the home, a family has recently moved their family member to a nursing home. Which of the following would be appropriate nursing actions at this time?

A) An assessment of the core process of celebration
B) Emphasize the family's opportunities, since the nursing home will replace the family member's caregiving responsibilities.
C) An assessment for ambiguous loss in the core process of cathexis
D) Use motivational interviewing techniques to guide family behavioral changes.

Question 11

Which of the following statements indicate a nurse needs further education about family nursing using core family processes?

A) Core processes can provide a framework when family is the unit of care, rather than the individual with an illness.
B) Exploring core processes can help nurses find ways to empower and support families.
C) Core processes offers directions for family-focused nursing actions that intentionally include the family.
D) Core processes provide ways to approach family care that include both assessment and nursing actions.

Question 12

A nurse is being attentive to the distress a family is experiencing with the admission of a family member to the intensive care unit. The nurse makes the statement, I know this is a stressful time for you and your family. Would you like to come to your family member's room with me and I will explain equipment to you? Which of the following is an accurate statement about the elements of this nursing action?

A) The critically ill patient is the recipient of this nursing action.
B) Characteristics of this settings is unrelated to this nursing action.
C) The anxiety and distress of the family is the focus of this nursing action.
D) All core processes need to be assessed at this time to gain a complete family assessment.

Question 13

Mary is the mother of a six-year-old son, James, with cerebral palsy. James uses wheelchair to attend school. However, lately he has had a tutor in the home because of declining health. James is being seen in the clinic for possible pneumonia. Effective family focused nursing actions should focus on which of the following core processes?

A) Cathexis
B) Coordination
C) Caregiving
D) All of the above

Question 14

Family-focused nursing actions view a family within the larger social system. Which of the following statements reflect accurate understandings of this view of family nursing practice?

A) Effective nursing address the complexity of an individual's illness, as well as their family and social networks.
B) Nurses who practice in the hospital seldom need to address the patient's community networks.
C) Effective family nursing practice maintains a focus on the current situation.
D) Family nursing practice is based on one model of nursing care that places the family as the unit care.

Question 15

Which of the following statements by a nurse who is planning to being leading family meetings reflect a need for additional education before she conducts the meetings?

A) I must be sure to provide plenty of time so I can listen to each of the family members.
B) I plan to direct my attention to the family's identified strengths and concerns.
C) It is important for me to help clarify each of the family member's beliefs.
D) It is best if I wait to hold a meeting until the family asks for this action.