Consider the changes in family nursing over the past few decades. What are the current issues and trends that affect nursing care for families today? Family nursing emphasizes involving family members in caregiving and decision-making. Family nursing is expanding due to increased focus on health promotion, an aging population, a higher prevalence of chronic illness, and the growth and acceptance of family-based theories and research.
The development of family nursing is being enhanced by important factors such as increased awareness in nursing and society regarding the need for health promotion and a health focus, as well as the pervasiveness of troubled families in communities. Additionally, the growing number of family nursing research studies continue to demonstrate how health stressors and coping impact family health outcomes, and how effective family-centered interventions can be.
In current trends, changes have emerged in the people offering care as well as in people being taken care of in the system. This pair interacts in an environment that reflects and conditions those changes. Through a systems perspective, it could be appointed that, in the macrosystem, demographic structure changes – largely brought about by the drop in mortality and birth rates – and increased life expectancy have led to the presumed population aging which, in turn, entails a significant increase in family care needs (Friedman, Bowden & Jones, 2003).
Family has undergone significant changes in recent years, both in terms of household size and diverse family forms. Concrete issues such as changes in family structure and functioning have further enhanced this trend. Women, who are often the primary care providers, have had to modify the way they traditionally provide care – whether in institutional or home settings (Cruz, Jenaro, Perez, Hernandez & Flores, 2011). Family nurses must understand and accept families within their unique situations.
Efforts must be made to understand the uniqueness, adaptability, and strengths of families with whom we work (Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003).
Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V. R., & Jones, E. G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory and practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Cruz,O. M., Jenaro,R.C., Perez,R.M., Hernandez,B.M,& Flores,R.N.(2011). Changes in the care context: Challenges for nursing.Journal Article ,19(4),1039-1046.
