Nursing Care of Pt's w/ Altered Family Process Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Characteristics of the Functional Family - Answers-Can shift roles, levels of responsibility, and patterns of
interactions as it experiences stressful life changes
-Completes important life cycle tasks
-Can tolerate conflict
-Differences between family members promotes personal growth
-Open communication among family members
-Emotional contact is maintained across generations without blurring levels of authority
Nurse Generalist - Answers-Familiar with tasks associated with adaptive family functioning
-Assesses family interaction; recognizes problems when evident.
-Provides support to families with ill member
-Makes referrals when assistance is necessary to restore adaptive functioning.
Cultural Variations in Family - Answers-Marriage, children, extended family & divorce
-Cultural competence & nursing interventions
Validate patient/family experience - "I'm listening", "This situation sounds like it's been difficult based on
what you're telling me."
-Act as neutral figure - avoid judgment & need to be right.
- Therapeutic use of self = do not blame family, nonjudgmental approach.
Competence/Empowerment Paradigm Nursing Interventions - AnswersPatient/family - right to be
involved; make own choices about health care.
Cooperative partnership & joint responsibility.
Focus on coping skills - foster confidence/self-efficacy; identify what's going well/ right for this family .
, Promote family's use of natural support networks.
Barriers to Family Involvement in Patient's Care - Answers-Professional bias against families
-Family attitudes about sharing information
-Professional fears about confidentiality and therapeutic alliance with patient
-Administrative restraints in a managed-cost environment - families are lowest priority
Assessment & Intervention Points Summary - Answers-Make positive first contact - be
curious/respectful, ask questions, validate concerns, many ways to view a problem.
-Avoid taking sides - obtain all-inclusive understanding, ↑↑ options for resolution.
-Thorough assessment first - offer advice without believing nurse's ideas are best or better, obtain
family's response and reaction to advice/suggestions
Family History - Answers-Family history information usually includes all family members across three
generations
-Convenient to use a family genogram as the organizing structure for collecting this information
-Genogram usually designed around the patient; all relatives included
Systems Model for Assessing Families Examines Five levels - Answers-Individual
-Dyads
-Nuclear Families
-Extended Families
-Community and Cultural Systems
Triangles - Answers-Stressful environments - ↑ reactivity (sensitivity) and blaming.
Characteristics of the Functional Family - Answers-Can shift roles, levels of responsibility, and patterns of
interactions as it experiences stressful life changes
-Completes important life cycle tasks
-Can tolerate conflict
-Differences between family members promotes personal growth
-Open communication among family members
-Emotional contact is maintained across generations without blurring levels of authority
Nurse Generalist - Answers-Familiar with tasks associated with adaptive family functioning
-Assesses family interaction; recognizes problems when evident.
-Provides support to families with ill member
-Makes referrals when assistance is necessary to restore adaptive functioning.
Cultural Variations in Family - Answers-Marriage, children, extended family & divorce
-Cultural competence & nursing interventions
Validate patient/family experience - "I'm listening", "This situation sounds like it's been difficult based on
what you're telling me."
-Act as neutral figure - avoid judgment & need to be right.
- Therapeutic use of self = do not blame family, nonjudgmental approach.
Competence/Empowerment Paradigm Nursing Interventions - AnswersPatient/family - right to be
involved; make own choices about health care.
Cooperative partnership & joint responsibility.
Focus on coping skills - foster confidence/self-efficacy; identify what's going well/ right for this family .
, Promote family's use of natural support networks.
Barriers to Family Involvement in Patient's Care - Answers-Professional bias against families
-Family attitudes about sharing information
-Professional fears about confidentiality and therapeutic alliance with patient
-Administrative restraints in a managed-cost environment - families are lowest priority
Assessment & Intervention Points Summary - Answers-Make positive first contact - be
curious/respectful, ask questions, validate concerns, many ways to view a problem.
-Avoid taking sides - obtain all-inclusive understanding, ↑↑ options for resolution.
-Thorough assessment first - offer advice without believing nurse's ideas are best or better, obtain
family's response and reaction to advice/suggestions
Family History - Answers-Family history information usually includes all family members across three
generations
-Convenient to use a family genogram as the organizing structure for collecting this information
-Genogram usually designed around the patient; all relatives included
Systems Model for Assessing Families Examines Five levels - Answers-Individual
-Dyads
-Nuclear Families
-Extended Families
-Community and Cultural Systems
Triangles - Answers-Stressful environments - ↑ reactivity (sensitivity) and blaming.
