Family Stress Theory

Nurses often use the aspect of time as an excuse not to conduct a family interview, however, Wright and Leahey (2009) clearly demonstrate how integrating families into patient care does not have to consume a lot of time. Using the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) and Calgary Family Intervention Model (CFIM), a family interview can be organized and conducted in a less amount of time, and end in a greater understanding of the patient and family. The CFAM contains three major categories including structural, developmental, and functional, which can be used to assess a family or help them address a specific health issue (Wright & Leahey, 2009). The CFIM uses assessments focusing on strengths, meaning that it uses the strengths of each individual family member, and the unit as a whole to provide positive interventions. This allows the interventions to focus on encouraging the family, rather than their deficits or dysfunctions (Wright and Leahey, 2009). During the 15-minute interview, it is suggested to have the entire family present so that the interviewer is able note reactions and collaborate with each family member, thus providing the most acceptable plan of care for the entire family.

The 10 dimensions of Family Stress are a way to describe a family stressor. Lipman-Blumen created a list of 10 dimensions that family stressors are based on. These ten categories are: internal vs external, pervasive vs bounded, precipitate onset vs gradual onset, intense vs mild, transitory vs chronic, random vs expected, natural generation vs artificial generation, scarcity vs surplus, perceived insolvable vs perceived solvable, and substantive context. Some of these factors may seem obvious and others may not. Some may have a direct influence on the stressor and others may not. But, each of these can lead to a crisis if not taken seriously. For all of these categories, I think it all depends on the crisis and each situation.

According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2008) “Each family is an unexplained mystery, unique in the ways it meets the needs of its members and society” (p. 550). Family nursing is a special field that involves the nurse and family working together to achieve progress for the family and its members in adjusting to transitions and responding to health and illness. The Friedman Family Assessment Model serves as a guide in family nursing to identify the developmental stage of the family, environmental data, family structure, composition, and functions as well as how the family manages stress and their coping mechanisms. From this data, three nursing diagnoses with interventions are developed.

Using the CFAM to conduct a family interview, I identified a nursing diagnoses and interventions for the family I interviewed.

A positive self image is conveyed to all family members. Even minor accomplishments such as good report card grades are praised and sometimes awarded. The family is currently dealing with change as far as the grandfather’s illness. Selective inattention and intellectualization are two of the defense mechanisms being used for avoiding this problem (Clark, 2003). Slowly, the use of talking with family members and expressing both positive and negative emotions are being used as coping strategies. The entire extended family comes together in a crisis which helps every member of the family to deal with the situation.

While the psychological impact of a chronic illness is not as measurably significant as the impact on the chronically ill child, it is substantial. Internalization is more often exhibited than externalization. This is explained as children did not wish to place more of a burden on the family than was already felt and/or because parents were psychologically and

A comprehensive family assessment provides a foundation to promote family health (Edelman & Mandle, 2011). 1987 Marjorie Gordon purposed 11 functional health patterns to use for guidance in order to facilitate nurses to have a frame work for the family assessment in. Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns help organizes basic family assessment information. This standardized format will guide nurses to complete the family assessment using system approaches, which will identify a patient’s

From your perspective, what are some of the stressors your select family is experiencing? With your select family in mind, complete the 71 life events Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes scale (Bomar, pp. 416-417). What additional stressors did the scale help you identify, if any? Explain why you consider the pile-up level of stress your select family is experiencing to be high, moderate, or low.

The purpose of this paper is to incorporate one family's experience of living with multiple chronic illnesses into the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) and Rolland's Chronic Health Challenge Framework. CFAM was developed by Dr. Lorraine M. Wright, a professor Emeritus of nursing and by Dr. Maureen Leahey, a manager of a mental health outpatient program both have over 25 years experience while still managing to supervise, teach, consult, write, and maintain a part-time clinical practice in individual, couple, and family therapy (Moxie, 2007). CFAM allows nurses to assess families during interviews. CFAM is a multidimensional framework consisting of three major categories: structural, dimensional and functional. (Wright & Leahey, 2005)

Family caregivers struggle with tensions and dilemmas during a period in which their whole life changes dramatically. Research has documented the effect that the patient's cancer has on the emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well being of the caregiver. This increased responsibility for the caregiver can come at great cost to the overall functioning of the entire family, because of role alterations, changes in the family structure, and financial stressors, among others. There also is a physical, emotional, and financial toll associated with caregiving. Caregivers can experience adverse effects on their mental and physical health that can remain long after the caregiving role has

Assessment, the first step in the nursing process, is a concept that must grasped in order for nurses to possess the solid foundation required to develop a plan and provide optimal care to their patients. This assessment is significant not only to individual patients, but their families, who are becoming increasingly recognized for their significance to the health and well being of individual family members. Nurses use a variety of tools in family nursing, and one of the most significant includes the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM), developed by Wright and Leahey. CFAM is an integrated conceptual framework used for interviewing and making

When assessing Dixie Cup, I found that the Family Assessment and Intervention Model would be an appropriate tool to use as she is an inpatient and the description of her reaction to her parents after they have visited is an indicator of a stressor. This tool can generate an abundance of information for the nurse to assist the patient and family to improve coping by identifying stressors and strengths, the effectiveness of the roles within the family unit, and the current family structure. As her nurse, I would like to assess her separately from her parents giving her the opportunity to talk openly and honestly about the stressors and strengths within her family. I would also use the FS3 I to collect my data and identify the both the family

Horizontal and vertical stressors are both present within my family. Interestingly enough though, vertical stressors are easier to identify when it comes to my family. Addiction is quite prevalent in my family, especially on my mother’s side, and has been for many generations. I grew up watching several family members suffer from drug addiction. These same family members were in and out of jail most my life. Consequently, this really took a toll on my family. I watched my grandmother suffer through depression because she thought it was her fault. I also watched my grandparents suffer financially because they wanted to keep their children out of jail and in rehab. Unfortunately, my grandparents had to watch their child and now a grandchild

3. Become aware of the “alive versus the inanimate” and “familiar versus unfamiliar” and develop rudimentary social interaction.

Stress is a killer. There is doubt that stress can cause health problems. Daily stressors lead into major health problems. Therefore if you can manage your daily stress you can promote a healthier life. The American Medial Association defines stress, as being any disruptions of a person’s mental and physical well being. (4.) My position is that if you balance the stress in your life you can live healthier and prevent certain sicknesses.