As a nurse practicing in today’s health care environment it is always important to be very attentive for the needs of the patient and the patient’s family. In order to realize the needs of the patient and the patients loved ones it is often helpful to conduct a family assessment. This assessment was carried out on an urban family which is in the middle income group. Some of the factors which were inferred from the assessment were as follows. In terms of values, health and nutrition, it was found that the members paid much emphasis to this. As s matter of fact, the initial family expenditure was on these three. Health is taken as a vital requirement and all the individuals need to have it. This is the same case with rest. Since most of the members are quite busy all through the day, the family spends some time together in the evening before retiring to bed. Most of the free time is spent having the family together in a relaxed atmosphere (Ritchie, 2012).
The family is very concerned for the patient’s needs and overall well-being. They are so concerned about elimination, though the need for exercise and activity is highly acknowledged. The members appreciate and know the need for physical fitness. As such, they try to make sure that they attain it. Nevertheless, they have such tight schedules that they do not get enough time to be engaged in these. This is quite unfortunate. On the cognitive factors, the family is highly receptive. The level attained in the family is based on the importance it attaches to the cognitive development. The children have gone through learning institutions and are still in pursuit of knowledge and education. This is the same case with the parents. They work with the notion that information is power.
As it pertains to health care sometimes simple common sense comes into play. Sensory perception is taken as a defining factor of the common sense. However, there is a saying that common sense is not common to
References: IFNA. (2012). Practice Models for Nursing Practice with Families. Retrieved on 16th April 2013 from http://internationalfamilynursing.org/resources-for-family-nursing/practice/practice-models/ Ritchie, A