a) In your professional or personal experiences, provide ONE SPECIFIC example in which you have observed/assessed a functional communication process with a "functional sender" and a "functional receiver."
I observed a functional communication process between a functional receiver and a functional sender when my parents implored me to change my eating habits to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Specifically, I was suffering from issues related to being overweight. In response, I started eating healthily, and my health eventually improved.
b) Then, in your professional or personal experiences, provide ONE SPECIFIC example regarding your observation/assessment of a dysfunctional communication process with a "dysfunctional sender" and a "dysfunctional receiver."
On the other hand, I observed a dysfunctional communication when I requested my parents for some time to attend a musical concert that involved some of the best musicians in my state, but they refused. We argued regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the event, but they maintained their ground. They maintained that the event was a breeding ground for illicit behaviours; therefore, they were not willing to allow me to attend.
Explain how you have observed a family affect the health of its individual members in ONE of the following six stages of health/illness: Be sure to provide specific examples from your personal and professional experiences.
I have seen a family affect the health of its individual members by promoting healthy eating behaviours. For example, I father always encouraged us to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Furthermore, he also discouraged the consumption of red meat. In most cases, vegetables and fruits reduce the risk of heart disease as well as other diet-related disease conditions (Snooks 78).
Friedman, Bowden, and Jones suggest that individuals in contemporary societies are increasingly interested in making decisions that improve the quality of their lives as well as their health and wellbeing (453). As a nurse student, I have used the approach when I advised, Mark, a fifty-year-old patient that was diagnosed with Obesity about the benefits of physical activity. Mark was weighing over 200 pounds and needed a significant reduction as a way of managing his situation. Mark drafted an elaborate physical activity plan that would help him make the relevant changes that would lead to a reduction in his weight. He eventually lost about 50 pounds; therefore, managing his condition became relatively easy. Currently, Mark still upholds the value of making positive changes that transform one’s life and wellbeing, and she is practicing the values in her day-to-day activities to ensure that he does not gain too much weight.
When the issue of receiving care arises, I think about, Nobel, patient that was suffering from TB of the spine and he was bedridden for a very long period of time. Some of the common effects of the condition include a cold abscess, spasm and stiffness of the muscles, and local tenderness. He has numerous treatment regimens and surgeries, but the damage that the condition had on her spine could not be reversed. As a result of his condition, his mother prevented him from actively engaging in some of the activities that she enjoyed. Currently, Nobel is dealing with many complications associated his sedentary life. He is currently overweight, and he also developed bed sores. Indeed, she needs to take an active role in addressing her condition. Furthermore, he should not allow her parents to dictate her activities. Otherwise, he will continue with his self-limiting behaviour that is the primary source of his current situation as well as the complications that are diminishing the quality of his life.
In your professional opinion, as a current or future healthcare provider, is this an appropriate way to approach the assessment of family values? Is this an effective way to assess family values related to healthcare practices? Can you suggest an alternative approach?
I firmly believe that this is an appropriate way of assessing family values because health is a fundamental need in any family; therefore, it is relatively easy to establish the values that a family holds dear when the members are dealing with health related issues. Yes, this is an effective way of assessing family values related to healthcare practices. Alternatively, a survey or a questionnaire, which is filled by two or three family members, can be used to assess the family values related to healthcare practices. Such a questionnaire should include questions that can help a nurse to understand the values, beliefs, and needs of a patient as well as their family members.
In your work as a nurse or student nurse, describe one example of how you have used this approach or have seen another healthcare provider use this approach to assess the values of a patient or family related to healthcare practices.
According to Friedman et al., nurses should assess family values by contrasting and comparing the values of a given family to those of the predominant American culture (370). As a student nurse, I used this approach to assess the family values of one of the patients I was managing. Specifically, the patient was a 60 year old, Jane, who was suffering from osteoporosis and was admitted. As a result of the condition, she suffered a fracture of the pelvic bone and was unable to walk. In most cases, his family members were responsible for making all decisions influencing her health and wellness. When the doctor recommended surgery as an ideal way of addressing the facture, they rejected the idea. In an ideal case, Jane is expected to take an active role in making the decisions and changes that would improve the quality of his life. However, that was not the case.
Works Cited
Friedman, Marylyn, Bowden, Vicky & Jones, Elaine. Family nursing: Research, theory, and practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. Print.
Snooks Margaret. Health psychology: Biological, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 2009. Print.
