Running head: Neuman’s Health Care System Model
Neuman’s Health Care System Model
Ishani Patel RN BSN
LaSalle University
Neuman’s Health Care System Model
Several nursing theory models are available to assist the nurse in assessing and evaluating a family, creating a care plan for a family, and determining which interventions are most applicable to the family’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses. The Neuman’s Systems Model, created in 1983 by nursing theorist/educator Betty Neuman, is a theory that encompasses the family as a whole rather than focusing on the individual patient, and offers ways in which the family can react to outside stressors and return to a whole state after the stressor is gone. Newman believes that each person is a layered, multi-dimensional being and identifies methods of coping with outside stressors that include three types of interventions that help the patient and family cope with these stressors.
In the primary intervention, the focus is on wellness and preventing the stressor from affecting the individual or family. An example of an outside stressor would be an acute illness, chronic illness, divorce, financial difficulties, and mental health issues. The healthy family will have lines of defense that will keep the stressor from affecting the stability of the family. In the second intervention, the focus is on restoring stability to the family after the stressor has affected them. The third intervention, maintenance of
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.
A national health care system in the United States has been a contentious topic of debate for over a century. Social reformists have been fighting for universal health care for all Americans, while the opposition claims that a “social” heath care system has no place in the ‘Land of the Free’.
The Neuman System Model is an open system that responds to stressors in the internal, external, and created environments (Masters, 2015). The model can be applied to physiological, psychological, sociocultural, developmental, and spiritual nursing care making it very diverse in applicability. The Neuman System Model discusses many concepts. One major concept is the idea of stressors and their affects on the patient system. Neuman defines stressors as any phenomenon that might penetrate both the flexible and normal lines of defense, resulting in a positive or negative outcome (Masters, 2015). Types of stressors include intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal. Intrapersonal stressors are those that occur within the client system boundary and correlate with the internal environment (Masters, 2015). Interpersonal stressors are those that
Families always affect one another, even when they feel distanced. The family unit can promote health or it can be a source of stress. It is the nurse's task to use family relationships to act as health facilitators for the patient, and, if necessary, treat the family as part of the patient's social environment. The family creates the patient's environment just as much as a clean room or an accessible place to exercise or access to appropriate medication.
work with individual families and with families as an aggregate within the population (Clark, 2003). Several areas will be presented such as biophysical, psychological, physical environmental, sociocultural, behavioral and health system considerations. The data obtained during family health assessment enable the nurse to make informed decisions about the health care needs of families (Clark).
All health care providers are familiar or have some idea of what family focused care entails. Family focused care can be practiced in any settings in healthcare, and nurses are familiar with this concept as this strong theory based teaching is emphasized throughout the nursing curriculum. With the trend of health care delivery shifting towards home based or community setting, it is now more than ever important for nurses and advance practice nurses (APN) to incorporate family nursing practice for improved outcomes for the patient and their families. This paper will discuss one of the many family nursing theory and its impact on the family nursing practice now and in the future.
The first characteristic of the US health care system is that there is no central governing agency which allows for little integration and coordination. While the government has a great influence on the health care system, the system is mostly controlled through private hands. The system is financed publically and privately creating a variety of payments and delivery unlike centrally controlled healthcare systems in other developed countries. The US system is more complex and less manageable than centrally controlled health care systems, which makes it more expensive. The second characteristic of the US health care system is that it is technology driven and focuses on acute care. With more usage of high technology,
Helpful in times of stress, such as acute or long-term illness, nursing can engage the family in focusing on their
A comprehensive family assessment provides a foundation to promote family health, Edelman & Mandle, C. L., (2011). This assessment of family health offers many approaches that involve getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of the family. According to Stanhope & Lascaster (2010), the family nursing assessment is the cornerstone for family
As the society we live in continues to transform, nurses need a comprehensive tool to assess family’s health patterns. Family units are influenced by environment, biological, mental, social and spiritual factors. Assessing these areas for health promotion and disease prevention will take all of these influences into consideration (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). A priority to a family focused health assessment approach is to adequately question, assess and examine these areas. A tool to assist a family health assessment using a family focused approach is Gordon’s 11 Functional Patterns. This paper will use these 11
Moxie, 2007. Maureen Leahey & Lorraine Wright. Family Nursing Resources. Retrieved February 3, 2008 from http://www.familynursingresources.com/aboutus.htmPerry, A & Potter, P. ( 2006) Canadian fundamentals of nursing. (J.Ross-Kerr &
Discuss the nursing interventions to be utilized with a family member who is in crisis in the care setting and interfering with the healthcare team’s performance.
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
The impact of nursing theories continues to provide a framework for guidance for patient centered care. Nurses continue to use these theories to provide beneficial knowledge in advancing their profession. Kearney-Nunnery (2012) describes the function of the conceptual model as a reference point and has been used to supply information to nursing scholars. One of these scholars that uses this model is Betty Neuman with the development of Neuman’s Systems Model. Neuman’s Systems Model refers to the individual, family, group and community as the client system and how they react when confronted with stress (Kearney-Nunnery, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding into to Neuman’s Systems Model, how it can improve patient care, and how it is used in nursing practices.
Community Health Nursing practitioners are required to have involved families and individuals in their daily work with the population (Clark, 2003, Clark, 2014). Conducting comprehensive assessments of family units is part of the nursing practice. The Purpose of this assessment is to conduct a family assessment to provide and elaborate evaluation of the biophysical, psychological, socio cultural, environmental, behavioral, and health variables. The purpose of this exercise is to gather data meant to help the nursing professional making informed decisions (Clark, 2003).