The definition of family has always been determined by societal acceptance. By historical reference, the definition of family was linked to blood lines or marriage. Through the years, societal attitudes regarding adoption, foster parenting, divorce, remarriage, and LBGTQ rights have changed the traditional definition (Green, 2018). Today, family is defined by more than blood ties or marriage. It is defined by function, level of commitment and attachment. In fact, some family members may not even live in the same household. According to Wright and Leahey (2012), “The family is who they say they are” (p.55).

Nontraditional family structures need to be acknowleged when working with patients. Perceptions of wellness and the health disparities present are influenced by the dynamics within a family system. For instance, a grandparent raising a grandchild may have different attitudes toward health promotion for the child, health issues of their own, or be experiencing economic disparities. In addition, caregiver roles may differ from a traditional family structure in single parent family. Understanding who is “family”, and how the family functions is key to creating stimulus for change in health promotion. The Calgary Modle of Family Assessment (CMFA) is one tool nurses can use to gain a better understanding of the family dynamics (Green, 2018). 

Bowen’s family systems theory can also be used to gain a better understanding of the interactions within a family. The family is made up of individuals that impact the lives of the other individuals within the family. For instance, a parent who has a substance abuse problem creates financial, emotional or even physical consequences for every other individual within the family. Any stressor or change within the unit, can create a ripple effect of negative or positive individual consequences that influence the entire family. Using the CMFA model the nurse can begin assessing the family in the initial assessment. This simple assessment can be utilized to understand the connections and interactions within her patient’s family. Then appropriate nursing interventions can be created that the family as a whole can adopt. Since the family is encouraged to work together toward a common goal, compliance and the incidence of desired outcomes increases (Green, 2018).

Green, S. (2018) Understanding families and health promotion. In Grand Canyon University (Eds.), Health promotion: health & wellness across the continuum. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/4

Wright, L. M., & Leahey, M. (2012). Nurses and families a guide to family assessment and intervention : A guide to family assessment and intervention. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org 

The traditional definition of a family is two parents, man and a women living together with there biological offspring with the same ancestry. (Green, S.Z.). Times have changed tremendously and the definition of family can take on several different meanings. Family of choice is a more accurate term to call families. It is who people decide are their family and it doesn’t depend on bloodline, gender, racer sexuality.

The importance of acknowledging nontraditional family structures is because who they decide is family affects their outlook on their health patterns. For example, A NICU mother did not visit her child to do skin to skin and breastfeed as planned. It is unusual for a mother to skip. She called to say had to rush her dog to the emergency room which turned into an emergency surgery because he almost died. This is a family by choice. At this moment she was distraught and made a decision switch baby to formula and no longer breastfeed, which can be done but for the health outcomes of the child breastmilk is best. Understanding the family dynamics was important on how to aide in education on health promotion. Encouraged to take efforts to get the dog well and educated on different options such as expressed breast milk/donor milk for her growing baby in the meantime. Giving her time and understanding this is her family dynamic made all the difference to keep the baby on the health plan.

The family systems theory describes how a family interacts with one another and society. It’s divides into different systems. A whole system is the entire family. A subsystem is an individual within the family 

And a supersystem is the community. Each of the systems affect one another. (Green, Z.E) For example, a husband is going through a program to quit smoking. His wife smokes as well. They both decide to go through the program together to elevate the triggers that would cause one to relapse. Everyone in the family system affects one another.

Whitney, S. (2018). Health Promotion: Health and Wellness Across the Continuum. In Grand Canyon University (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/4

 
Report Issue

Option 3: Community Empowerment

Select an issue for Community Empowerment that you have observed in your clinical setting and that you have discussed with your preceptor.  This might be a chronic health condition, a recent crisis or disaster in the community, a health-related legislative concern or something else! 

Then, answer all of the following questions:

• Describe the issue comprehensively.  Is the issue simply and easily explained by community members?
• Will the issue unite community members and involve them in the problem resolution or divide them?
• Is the issue consistent with the long-range goals of the community or clinical setting?
• How does the issue affect community or organizational resources (financial, personnel, supplies, etc)?
• Does the issue have the potential for creating new community partnerships?  Or new adversaries?  Why?
• What is your prediction for the final outcome of the issue?

Every ? must be answered. 

At least one page long. 

All APA. 

Must include at least one peer reviewed nursing journal article from 2015-2020

Purpose

The Course Outcome covered this week is CO1.

CO1: Identify theories, concepts, and beliefs related to transcultural nursing. (PO1)

Discussion

We encounter patients after they have explored various avenues of self-help. At times, these avenues involve the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Our readings this week are very helpful.

1. Select a common (or not so common) illness or condition that affects a specific ethnic group.
2. Identify two (2) CAM therapies that patients are likely to try before seeking (or in addition to) allopathic, osteopathic, or ayurvedic medical intervention for the illness or condition.
3. Discuss the effectiveness of each therapy you identified.

Note: Do not discuss an illness or condition about which a classmate has already posted. The diversity will lead to a more robust discussion. There are many examples you may discuss, including sickle-cell disease in African Americans, constipation in the elderly people, or the use of Reiki for mental and emotional healing by Japanese people. Think of others from your practice settings or prelicensure experiences.

Professor’s comment: Hello All,

This is one week I am really looking forward to because you are all experts in this area from all of your work with the patients and families you care for.  We all encounter patients after they have explored various avenues of self-help. At times, these avenues involve the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). I look forward to your choice for an illness that affects an ethnic group that you have worked with and the CAM therapies you identify.

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Andrews, M. M., & Boyle, J. S. (2016). Transcultural concepts in nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: PA: Wolters Kluwer.

 

Instructions

Regardless of the career that you pursue or are currently pursuing, it is likely that the action of securing the resource of friends and professional acquaintances will be as valuable as any other action you could take.

Part 1:

First, take some time to reflect on your career and/or future career. If this includes more than one career path, then focus on the one that you are most concerned with in the long term. This might include working in a specific field, starting a business, or any other pursuit you are currently working on or plan to work on in the future. The choice behind the pursuit you will focus on is a personal choice.

Write two pages on why this particular career and/or pursuit is your choice. Reflecting on the why behind your wish to achieve a goal will help to make it feel more tangible to you. This exercise of reflection should serve to remind you of your motivation and will be a good thing to refer back to if your motivation ever gets low. The “why” behind a pursuit is oftentimes more important than the “how” of a pursuit. If you have a strong enough “why,” you will find the “how.”

Part 2:

For the second part of this assignment, make a list of the types of people that could help you in your career and why those people would be good contacts to have. This list should be general in nature, meaning you should list professions or names of positions within companies rather than specific names.

You should list general fields or positions like accountants, attorneys, marketing managers, CEOs, etc., rather than any specific names. Be sure to list at least five professions or types of people.

Part 3:

Next, consider which social media platforms you could use to make personal contacts that could help you in your pursuit along with why and how you could use each. Ensure that the platform and your use of it line up with the specifics behind your chosen future goal.

Describe at least three different platforms you could use, along with why you would use it, and how you would use it for each of the three.

• Platform #
  • Why?
  • How?
• Platform #
  • Why?
  • How?
• Platform #
  • Why?
  • How?

Part 4:

Finally, put all of this together and take action. The next part of this assignment is where you can make a big difference in your grade as well as in your real life pursuit of a goal!

Reach out through the avenue of social media and make contact with three people that you do not currently know. Describe who you contacted and why (you do not need to give their specific name). Explain how you went about contacting them. Contacting someone that works in the same field as you or the same field you intend to work in should be relatively easy as long as you take a professional approach. Speculate over how this new contact might be helpful to you in the future. If you are not currently using social media, then find someone that you know that has used social media to make connections. Ask them to describe how social media has helped them to network and write about social media has helped them to network and make connections.