Affiliated University
Families come in different forms in modern times. The conventional definition of a family has evolved from the conventional relation by blood to accommodate diverse relationships. Such relationships include blended families, single parent families, and even same gender families. Some people also consider exchange students and even friends who move in with them as part of the family. All these diverse relationships mean that every family faces a unique set of challenges. However, community nursing provides an advantage to the health worker who faces those diverse challenges.
The family in question was a single parent family. The family only had two members, father, and his son. The man's wife died some years ago after succumbing to illness. The nursing process was made easier by the home visits which gave the nurse an up-close and thorough assessment of the physical environment. The father of the child was also more relaxed and willing to answer the questions at home than at work. That is because he works three jobs since his wife passed away. Anything that would interfere with the number of hours he had to clock in was obviously an inconvenience. The duration of time which the nursing process took also allowed the family to build a relationship with the health worker and, therefore, they were willing to disclose important matters (Potter, &, Perry, 2009). They were even willing to contact the health worker with some concerns which they would not reveal in previous times. The frequent visits were key in developing that openness from the family.
Considering the death of the mother and the history of depression from the man's side, the Calgary family model provided the perfect analysis of that family. A genogram of both the man and his wife's family showed a history of depression on the man's side; arthritis was prominent in the woman's relatives. The nurse only facilitated the process and made the family feel like partner, and the so the reason why the father was so willing to disclose such confidential information (Potter, &, Perry, 2009). The wife's great grandfather, two aunts, and an uncle had succumbed to arthritis. Four of her cousins were struggling with the disease. Eventually, arthritis got to the man's wife who left their family with only two members. It meant that the man had to seek other avenues to supplement the gap left by the absence of one breadwinner. That is why he got another job. His three jobs meant that he had little time to spend with his son. The child was very young, and that means he was incapable of some essential tasks. Since the father could not be around all the time, he hired a nanny to take care of his son. When the health worker was around, the father spared the cost and effort of getting a nanny. He, therefore, appreciated the visits a lot.
A structural analysis of how the family interacted with the environment showed that the father had little time for social gatherings and, therefore, had few friends. However, the son played frequently with other children from the neighborhood. Over time, the nurse observed that the child grew less attached to his father and was content with the little time they spent together. The child liked playing outside more than staying indoors and watching television.
Reference
Potter, P.A. & Perry, A.G. (2009). Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing (4th ed.). Toronto, CA: Elsevier Canada.
