Typology of Nursing Problems in Family Nursing Practice

First Level Assessment
I. Presence of Health Threats, Health Deficits & Foreseeable Crisis
A. Health Threats – conditions conducive to disease, accident or failure to realize one’s health potential,
Ex.1. Health history of specific disease/condition (like family history of diabetes)
2. Threat of cross infection from a communicable disease case
3. Family size beyond what family resources can adequately provide
4. Accident hazards – ex. broken stairs, fire & fall hazards, pointed/ sharp objects, poisons & medicines improperly kept
5. Nutritional
•Inadequate food intake both in quantity & in quality
•Excessive intake of certain nutrients
•Faulty eating habits
6. Stress provoking factor
•Strained marital relationship
•Strained parent-sibling relationship
•Interpersonal conflicts between family members
7. Poor environmental sanitation
•Inadequate personal belongings/utensils
•Lack of food storage facilities
•Polluted water supply
•Unsanitary waste disposal
•Improper drainage system

8. Unsanitary food handling & preparation
9. Personal habits/practices
•Frequent drinking of alcohol
•Excessive smoking…………………….
•Walking barefoot
•Poor personal hygiene
•Self medication
10. Inherent personal characteristics (like short temper)
11. Health history which precipitate/induce the occurrence of a health deficit ex. previous history of difficult labor
12. Inappropriate role assumption ex. Child assuming mother’s role
13. Lack of immunization / inadequate immunization status of children
14. Family disunity
•Self-oriented behavior of members
•Unresolved conflicts of members
•Intolerable disagreements

B. Health Deficit – instances of failure in health maintenance
1. Illness states, regardless whether it is diagnosed or undiagnosed by medical practitioner
2. Failure to thrive/develop according to normal rate
3. Disability arising from illness, whether transient/temporary
Ex. Aphasia or temporary paralysis from a CVA, blindness from measles, lameness from polio, leg amputation secondary to diabetes
C. Stress Points / Foreseeable Crisis Situations – anticipates periods of unusual demand on the individual or family in terms of adjustments/family resources
Ex. 1. Marriage
2. Pregnancy, Labor, Puerperium
3. Parenthood
4. Additional member (newborn, lodger)
5. Abortion
6. Entrance at School
7. Adolescence
8. Loss of Job
9. Death of a member
10. Resettlement in a new community
11. Illegitimacy