Introduction

Family health nursing process is a well-organized approach that aims to help a family in developing and strengthening its capability to its health needs and to get solutions to the health problems that they might be facing. Examples of nursing diagnosis that can be used during the nursing process of assessing a family include the risk, actual and syndrome diagnosis. A nursing process can be defined as a scientific method that uses clinical knowledge to get a balance between personal interpretation and research evidence where critical thinking plays a crucial role (Kaakinen et al., 2018). The nursing process involves different phases during its implementations that work to make sure the process meets its desired goals. These phases include the assessment phase, diagnosis phase, planning phase, implementation phases and lastly the evaluation phases. The clinician or the nurse in charge of the family assessment uses the named phases in the specified order to uncover the whole process.

Assessment Phases

This phase includes the family identification process whereby the different aspects of the family being assessed are identified (Dalzell, & Sawyer, 2016). With the family that is being assessed in our study the health of individual members varies from one member to another. This is because the family has a history of a genetic disorder of sickle cell anemia that runs in the family bloodline. Regarding the lifestyle of the family, they are not very rich whereby they do struggle financially to meet their daily necessities. The family is an extended family consisting of many members where they are headed by a man who tends to be the eldest and is a father and a grandfather to some of the family members. The structure of the family is set in such a way that crisis moments are solved through dialogue and discussions between the elderly members of the family. It is also important to note that two years back the family was hit by a tragedy where twelve members of the family were involved in a car accident where ten of them lost their lives. Since then the family has had post-traumatic stress disorder whereby they find it hard to adapt with the departing of their loved ones.

Diagnosis Phase

After the collection of data through the different methods of data collection both from the family members and medical history several conclusions were identified that needed to be addressed. The different data collection methods included interviewing, documentation, observation, review of family health records among others. A family health diagnosis includes a statement of the health problems that were identified during the assessment phase that needs to be addressed (Pierre, & Conley, 2017). Some of the health problems that faced and posed a threat to the family are that they had been suffering from a genetic disorder that runs through the genes of the family and is passed from one generation to another. A second health problem that has hit the family is that of post-traumatic stress disorder. This came out when they lost ten of their members at a go through a road accident, and an additional two survived but sustained severe injuries.

Planning Phase

The planning phase of the nursing process involves the analyzing of the diagnosed health problems and the possible abilities of the family members to solve them. Sickle cell anemia and the condition of post-traumatic stress disorder are the two identified health problems that the family needs to find a plan and solution to overcome them. It is important to note that sickle cell anemia as a genetic disorder does not affect every member where some of them become its carrier while others are affected by it. For those that it affects entirely one of the medical plans that they can get into is that of getting medical attention. The available medical solutions for the treatment of sickle cell anemia include those of getting a full blood transfusion, getting a bone marrow transplant while also receiving a chemotherapy process which is accompanied by some medications (Pierre, & Conley, 2017). For post-traumatic stress disorder, it is advisable that the affected family members should be getting involved in psychotherapy activities by visiting a counselor. Medications can also be used to help in the management of the symptoms that come with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Implementation Phase

This phase involves the review of the proposed plan and how resources are mobilized to make sure that the plan comes into fruition. In this phase as the family is given adequate information concerning their condition and some of the ways they use to overcome them (Kaakinen et al., 2018). The family in our case study is not that well financially and therefore there comes a need to identify alternative ways of raising funds to assist the affected members by the conditions. One of the ways to solve this is by applying for health insurance covers for all the members of the family to take care of their funds in case the conditions become severe for the different members. The family should also be given some guidance to and counseling especially those that seemed to be affected adversely by the situation where they lost their loved ones in an accident. Family members should also be made to understand the importance of taking the necessary measure towards the cure of the different disorders. Some of the community resources available are also a better way to handle the situation for the family members. These include fundraisers where they can mobilize funds to cater for the most affected members.

Evaluation phase

Evaluation phase of the nursing process involves the following up of the implementation process where the determination of whether the phase was a success or not is made. This phase is made up of two segments namely the qualitative and the quantitative evaluation. The quantitative evaluation involves the determination of the extent of the services that the family members get to receive. On the other hand, qualitative evaluation involves the evaluation of the resource that was required and those that were used including human resources. It also evaluates the nurse’s activities that the nurses performed to the affected family towards their healing process (Dalzell, & Sawyer, 2016). Lastly, it measures the outcome of the whole process and whether it was a success or failure. With regards to the family, we were evaluating the available resources were those from the hospital nurses, those from the counselors and psychologists and the community at large who assisted in the mobilization of funds. The nurse’s activities to this included offering of the required medication to the affected members of the family. Lastly, the whole process was a success, and the lives of the entire family were transformed, and they are currently in the healing process.

                                                                  Conclusions                                       

It is worth noting that the nursing process is a cyclic model where all the five phases are repetitive and overlap over each other where it can end at any stage as long as the problem has been solved. The process has been in use for a while now in the current hospital settings where many families have benefited from it. This is proof enough that it is certified and is recommendable for any family that faces certain health complications and problems. The family in our study had some health problems, and by viewing their health history records, they needed some interventions where the nursing process was the most suitable process suitable for them.

References

Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care      nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.

Dalzell, R., & Sawyer, E. (2016). Putting Analysis Into Child and Family Assessment:                      Undertaking Assessments of Need. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Pierre, J. S., & Conley, D. M. (2017). Introduction to gerontological            nursing. Gerontological nursing competencies for care, 1.