Running head: FAMILY ASSESMENT

Family Assessment
Jaya Lingam
Ferris State University

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a family assessment. Public health nurses
work with individual families and with families as a cumulative within the
population. Several areas will be presented such as psychological, physical environmental,
sociocultural, and behavioral and health system considerations. The data obtained during
family health assessment enable the public health nurse to make informed decisions about the
health care needs of families.

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Family Assessment

Family assessment is a process community health nurses make to appraise family

healthcare needs. Assessment is holistic and includes examination of cultural, spiritual, and
developmental needs with biopsychosocial needs (Harkness, G. DeMarco, R. 2012). Family
assessment is important for family nursing interventions and systematic processes that are used
to identify the familys developmental stages and risk factors. This paper will implement the
Duvalls Developmental Stages of the Family and also Erikson and Piaget Developmental
tasks.
Family Composition
The Bhimalli family is a nuclear family. The family is composed of three members. PB is the
father and is 48 years old Indian male with a college degree in medicine. He is an
anesthesiologist in Carson City Hospital MI. Mrs. AB is also Indian and is the mother of the
family. She is 43years old, pursuing a bachelors degree in business management at Michigan
State University. She also volunteers at Carson City Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. PB have two
children. PB is 14year old boy who is in 9th grade. NB is a 9yrs old girl in 4th grade. They enjoy
hiking, amusement parks, computers, shopping, and site seeing. Parents perception is that they
are hardworking, good citizens who strongly believe in God and their religious beliefs are
Hinduism. This family appears to be in good health and proud parents of 2 childrens. PB is a
family friend of ours.
Stages of family development.
According to Duvalls developmental stage the family is in stage V: Families with
teenagers. PB is taking more responsibility towards the house chores. PB will mow the lawn,
water the flower garden and take care of his sister until mom is back from college. PB also

FAMILY ASSESSMENT

tutors his sister which never wanted to do before. PB maternal and paternal grandparents are
deceased. PB uncle in India is a grandfather figure for him.
Home and community environment
The Bhimallis family lives in a wealthy neighborhood, most of their neighbor are
doctors, nurses and school teachers. The family home is a bi-level home. 4 bed rooms 2
bathrooms, living room, family room, kitchen, dining room, pooja room (prayer room) and a
full basement which is used for recreational purpose. The house sits on beautiful 2 acre of land
and there is large fountain and flowerbed in front of the house. Father is a doctor, mother is a
student and a volunteer, the uncle is also a doctor in India. The socioeconomic status of the
family is well to do.
Family functions
The father is the head of the house hold and provides for the family and pays the entire
bill. Mother does all the household chores and sometimes the children help the mom. The
family members respect each other and love each other. The father makes all the decision with
the mother suggestions.
Role Strain
The father faces more role strain because he works a lot and sometimes he is very tired
or on call to go anywhere with the whole family. The mother faces similar strain but hers is
more of college work. The oldest child sometimes feels like he is obligated to babysit his sister.
The uncle is half the world away from US sometimes he is frustrated cant take the call on time
and talk to PB.
Communication

FAMILY ASSESSMENT

The family communicates well with each other. They state their needs to each other.
The mother most of the time doesnt state her need to her husband. It is very common in Indian
women. If there is a problem, the father takes care of it and comes up with a solution for a
problem.
Discipline
The father and mother are very good at parenting; they both are on the same page most
of the time. They say it very rare when they disagree on something. The father and mother
implement the discipline.
Strengths
The strengths of the family are good communication, self-esteem, spiritual, values of
their culture and commitment to family.
Potential problems
The father has a busy profession, his health could be a problem because he works long
hours and getting older. Stress can contribute to health problem because he has a family history
of MI. The mother is also busy with college work and family, stress can contribute to health
problem because she is in pre-menopause. The son is in his puberty, always questions his
parents why he cant date like other kids of his age, he is caught between cultures. Plays
football at school, could have potential injuries. The youngest girl has her days asking
questions why she cant have asleep over. The girl is also entering into her puberty. As a whole
family it is a challenge to follow Indian culture when living in the United States and kids being
born here and being raised in Indian culture but exposed constantly to American culture.

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Appendix

Nursing diagnosis for the child: Risk for injury related to sports evidence by playing football.
Necessary assessments/interventions: wear protective gear while playing football helmets,
shoulder pads cleats and knee pads.
Rationale: protection from injuries, like head knee, shoulder injuries.
Nursing diagnosis for the uncle: role strain related to profession and time change with evidence
by living in India.
Necessary assessment/Intervention: chat to the child through Skype or face time, visit the child
more often and set a time for communication.
Rational: talking through Skype or face time on IPhone will make the child and the uncle feel
more closely. Set a time to talk will take the pressure of missing calls.
Nursing diagnosis for the whole family: ready to enhance exercise activity pattern related to
stress with evidence by working overtime, college work, children activity.
Rational: spending time together as a family at a park or pool will decrease the stress and
improve more bonding and also will reduce health problems.

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Reference

Harkness, G. & DeMarco,R. ( 2012). Community and public health nursing: Evidence
for practice. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.