Friedman Family Assessment Model

NUR 4606 – Nursing of the Family

Friedman Family Assessment Model – modified for class use

Student’s Name: _______

Family Assessment

 Identifying Data

 1.      Family Name: _________

 2.      Family Composition: 

3.      Type of Family Form: This is a heterosexual family of four, comprising the man, his wife, and two daughters. The first one is in 8th grade and the second in 6th grade. Respectively, the father and the mother are fully employed as city supervisors and registered nurses. 

4.      Cultural (Ethnic) Background: The family is African American and resides in Tennessee. The family immigrated to the United States when the wife was 17 years. She got married in the US and gave birth to her at the Holston Valley Medical Center. 

5.      Religious Identification: Although the family does not go to church, it identifies with Christianity. The husband and wife have strong protestant roots. Their grandparents were inducted into the Pentecostal Church in the 1940s. 

6.      Social Class Status: The family belongs to the upper class going by its lifestyle. They live in their four-bedroom mansion in Nashville’s leafy suburbs. Both the husband and wife have well-paying jobs, and the family size is small. Both children attend a nice private school a short distance from home. 

7.      Social Class Mobility: The family seems stable in its social class. In addition to monthly salaries, the family receives significant revenues from their rented apartments and business premises across town. It also owns two prime movers that bring significant monthly income.

 Developmental Stage and History of Family

 8.      Family’s Present Developmental Stage: Stage 5: Teenage children)

 9.      Extent of Family Developmental Tasks Fulfillment: The developmental tasks in this stage are balancing freedom with responsibility and establishing post-parental interests. The family is meeting these milestones.

 10.  Nuclear Family History: Richard and Nekeisha started dating 15 years ago when they moved to the United States. Nekeisha was 17, and Richard was 26. They got married about a year later when Nekeisha was four months pregnant with her first child.

 11.  History of Family of Origin of Both Parents: Richard and Nekeisha are immigrants. Their parents and some extended family members still live in their original home in Africa. Richard’s father was a high school principal. He retired in 2016. Richard’s mother is still practicing nursing. Nekeisha’s father is a police officer, and her mother is a clerk. Richard has two cousins in the United States, and Nekeisha has three in Canada.

Environmental Data

 12.  Characteristics of Home: Richard and his wife and children live in a nice family-owned four-bedroom mansion in a peaceful Nashville neighborhood. Each girl has her furnished bedroom. The family reserves the extra room for guests. Amenities at home include a library, gym, game room, and swimming pool. The house is spacious, neat, and well-designed, with functional spaces and parallel walls. The family has lived in this house for three years now. 

 13.  Characteristics of Neighborhood and Larger Community: The family lives in a safe, gated community in the outskirts of Nashville. This affluent area of town has mature gardens and fresh air. It is close to the family’s workstations and the children’s school. 

 14.  Family’s Geographical Mobility: The family has moved thrice. Twice into rental apartments, and once into own-house. The family is unlikely to shift from its current permanent residence unless it sells it first or has a compelling reason to move.    

 15.  Family’s Associations and Transactions with Community: The family is well-known. Neighbors consult Nekeisha frequently as she is an excellent nurse. Her husband is also well-known and hosts meetings in the neighborhood regularly. He is in charge of various issues, including security, as he works with the city council.  

 Family Structure

 16.  Communication Patterns:  

1. Are the members able to communicate effectively – how do you know?

The family’s communication is effective because the husband and wife use the same car to and from work. They also do most things together – including exercising – suggesting good coordination and communication. 

2. Where are the blocks in communication – give specific examples?

No communication blocks seem to exist. However, both parents are busy, which could hinder them from communicating regularly throughout the day. The children attend a prestigious private school in the neighborhood and are also busy in school. 

3. Does verbal and non-verbal language match, or is there incongruence between the two?

Verbal and non-verbal language among the family members match. Incongruence between them does not exist. All members are great friends. 

17. Power Structure:   

1. How are decisions made?

The family makes decisions through extensive consultations. Both the man and the woman respect each other’s opinions and also consider the children’s thoughts. They are happy. 

2. Who has power and what type of power is used? (give specific examples in more than one instance of someone getting what they want)

The youngest daughter seems to have the most power. She gets whatever she asks her parents to provide. During one shopping spree, she picked everything she desired, and her parents could not say no to her even though some items were unnecessary. She also gets away with a lot of things. For example, no one disciplines her if she fails to clean her room.

 18.  Role Structure (list each individual and his/her roles):

1. Richard: husband, father, city councilor, patriarch of the family.
2. Nekeisha: wife, mother, nurse, the matriarch of the family.
3. Iyanna: daughter, sister, student
4. Tyanna: daughter, sister, student 

19. Family Values: 

1. Describe 3 values important to this family (include examples that demonstrate each of the 3 values).

1.      Love: It is at the center of this family. It defines how the members relate and interact with each other and outsiders. Members love one another unconditionally.

2.      Patience: All the members are patient with each other and with life. They know things take time and willingly embrace progress over instant gratification.

3.      Self-control: Members understand the importance of self-control and moderation. They desist from all forms of overindulgences. They understand the importance of pleasure with a conscience. 

2. Is there disparity or conflict in family values among family members?

No disparity in family values exists. 

3. How do these values relate to the family’s reference group?

The family’s values are indicative of African-American family values. 

Family Functions

20. Affective Function: 

1. Mutual nurturance, closeness, and identification:

The family spends time together whenever it can. Each evening, they all enjoy a family meal at home. All family members participate in meals preparation and enjoy each other’s company. The family also uses the same surname. 

2. Separateness and connectedness:

The family is well-connected. They go on vacation together and eat out on weekends and holidays. The family is separated only by job and school commitments. 

3. Family’s needs-response patterns:

The family is responsive to each other’s needs. They also support each other with a lot of love. 

21. Socialization Function:

The family is one. Parents and the children socialize well. The parents are authoritative, not authoritarian. 

22. Health Care Function:

The family eats a balanced diet and exercises regularly. It is healthy and active. The mother – being a nurse – advises the other members on how to be and stay healthy. 

Family Stress, Coping, And Adaptation  

23. Family Stressors, Strengths, and Perceptions: 

1. Stressors

Not enough time together due to personal and work commitments. 

2. Strengths

Love and unconditional support. 

3. Perception:

The stress is temporary. It will end eventually. 

24. Family Coping Strategies (healthy and unhealthy):

 The family copes with stress by staying together on weekends and whenever they can. They also travel a lot to cope with stress and fatigue. 

25. Family Adaptation:

NANDA - Nursing Diagnoses:  Based on your above assessment, list the top 3 FAMILY (not individual) nursing diagnoses. Make sure these diagnoses are supported by documentation highlighted in the assessment you completed above. At least 2 of the diagnoses must be wellness-focused – how to help this family achieve or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

1)      Spend time to reduce stress: The family is preoccupied with personal and financial development and has little time for itself. Spending more time with loved ones reduces stress (Johnson, 2011). The family can achieve this goal by having a better family-life balance.

2)      Dealing with unresolved conflicts: Unresolved personal issues can cause mental and behavioral problems (Doenges et al., 2010). Since the parents are giving the children everything they want, they could have unresolved issues from the past.

3)      Enhancing healthy living: The family can enhance its health by eating healthily and exercising regularly. If it becomes inconsistent, it can suffer significant health problems. 

References

Doenges, M.E., Moorhouse, M.F., & Murr, A.C. (2010). Nursing care plans. Guidelines for individualizing client care across the life span (8th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.

Johnson, M. (2011). NOC and NIC Linkages to NANDA-I and clinical conditions: Nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions. Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby.