Introduction
A nursing care plan is a tool that nurses design to identify, assess, and systematically minimize or eliminate potential healthcare threats using tailored interventions and goal-oriented approaches to achieve desired outcomes. A family nursing care plan focuses on solutions to deal with current health issues facing individuals in a household and collective preventive measures to deter potential health risk factors. This essay describes a family nursing care plan addressing a three-generation family household comprised of a toddler, a teenager, a pregnant young adult, a father, a mother, and grandparents.
Family Members and Potential Health Issues
The youngest member of the family is four years old in relatively good health. However, the toddle is exposed to a range of infectious diseases. He has stopped breastfeeding and was recently enrolled in a baby care institution where he interacts with others from different environments and backgrounds. Additionally, the child showcases poor eating habits, exposing him to malnutrition. On the other hand, the teenager exhibits good health, but she is enrolled in an educational institution where she interacts with others constantly. Moreover, she is exposed to social risks such as sexual activity, recreational drug abuse, and emotional concerns as she is an adolescent.
The pregnant young adult is the firstborn of the family, and she is 25 years old. She has a history of asthma and reports being sick from time to time, which is critical for her condition. However, she does not use any drugs or suffer from pre-existing medical conditions. Nonetheless, she requires appropriate lifestyle practices to take care of herself and the unborn baby. The two parents are working full-time in offices, forcing them to engage in limited physical activities. Additionally, they are exposed to mental conditions associated with stress because they have to take care of their elderly parents. The grandfather and mother in the household are 72 and 65 years, respectively. They both have to manage chronic conditions as the grandfather is diagnosed with type II diabetes, while the grandmother has high blood pressure, exposing her to the risk of strokes, heart disease, brain and kidney issues. Moreover, they are exposed to infectious diseases as they have weak immune capabilities and occasionally interact with their grandchildren. Therefore, it is critical to consider a holistic approach to take care of the family and improve the quality of their lifestyle.
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for Each Member
Early childhood health promotion is critical for proper growth and development. Therefore, it is vital to lay out a conclusive child healthcare plan to deal with relevant health risks (Probst et al., 2018). The family should attend regular medical examinations to identify disease development and counter issues before they alleviate. Moreover, they should always maintain healthy nutritional habits and high levels of sanitation to help develop the family’s immunity and disposition to infections (Adams et al., 2020). The parents must also pay attention to the toddler’s eating habits, sleeping patterns, and engagement in physical activities to promote his health. On the other hand, they should constantly assess the emotional and physical development of the teenager and expose her to personal guidance solutions to prevent the development of risky behaviors (Agdal et al., 2019). The teenager should also be encouraged to interact with social groups, engage in community development initiatives and focus on her education to promote her future well-being.
The parents must also pay attention to their healthy development as they are predisposed to a range of health factors due to their sedentary lifestyle. They should develop approaches to maximize their physical activities, either by enrolling in physical exercising classes or maximizing activities such as brisk walking and riding a bicycle to work. Moreover, they should occasionally obtain mental assessment examinations and associate with social groups to help foster positive relationships and social assistance in case of issues (Goodall & Vorhaus, 2011). The Grandparents are living with pre-existing medical conditions, calling for more tailored approaches to ensure their health. For example, diabetes type II is characterized by underlying conditions that might inhibit its management initiatives. Therefore, the parents must provide close medical attention, track blood sugar levels, drug administration, and encourage self-health management (Golinowska et al., 2016). High blood pressure is also a critical health condition that can alleviate if not well-managed. Therefore, the parents should ensure that they create a conducive environment to ensure regular blood pressure testing, a healthy diet, physical activity, and cutting back on inhibitors like salt to ensure improvement.
Goals and Outcomes for Each Member
The ultimate goal of healthcare interventions for the toddler is to ensure appropriate mental, physical, and emotional development through to adulthood. Children are exposed to a range of health risks that might interfere with their general development. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure a holistic approach to general health (Probst et al., 2018). On the other hand, the teenager should acquire essential life skills to guide her in maneuvering challenges in society. Paying attention to critical lifestyle choices will ensure that she avoids risky behavior that might lead to ill health in adulthood (Agdal et al., 2019). The healthcare goal of the pregnant woman is to ensure the healthy development and birth of the unborn child. Pregnant women are exposed to a wealth of risk factors because of diminished immune and body activity levels (Adams et al., 2020). Therefore, the healthcare initiatives will promote the mother’s optimal health to help fight disease and take care of the baby.
The goals for the parents include ensuring positive healthcare development as they grow older. Many individuals are predisposed to chronic conditions because of neglecting vital healthcare practices during their youth. Therefore, the parents must pay attention to healthy eating habits and exercise to ensure good health (Goodall & Vorhaus, 2011). On the other hand, the goals for the grandparents are to offer better health management of their pre-existing conditions and preventing the development of more critical issues. Chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension can prove challenging to manage without sufficient resources and information to cater to underlying problems (Golinowska et al., 2016). Therefore, the initiatives will help the parents develop a plan to ensure the grandparents’ positive development.
Recommended of Resources and Referrals
Healthcare training is vital for the whole family to ensure that they can participate in their wellness and health promotion. Therefore, the teenager, pregnant woman, and the parents should enroll in social groups and institutions that will help them stay aware of their health concerns and solutions to inhibit detrimental outcomes (Adams et al., 2020). In addition, the parents should obtain additional resources and professional assistance from healthcare institutions that deal with their grandparents’ conditions. Professional service will ensure that the grandparents receive all medical needs, drug administration, and guidance for their well-being.
Conclusion
A nursing care plan should adopt holistic approaches of assessing the nature of individuals’ health and potential concerns, identifying issues, developing solutions, and evaluating to ensure goal attainment. Additionally, it should pay attention to an individual’s immediate needs to provide tailored solutions to their health care. A family nursing care plan lays out a conclusive needs assessment and measures to advance a household’s health. Therefore, nurses should learn how to design and implement a care plan to simplify holistic healthcare initiatives at the household and community levels.
Reference
Adams, C., Ridgway, L., & Hooker, L. (2020). Maternal, child and family nursing in the time of COVID-19: The Victorian maternal and child health service experience.Australian Journal of Child and Family Health Nursing, 17(1), 12-15.
Agdal, R., Midtgård, I. H., & Meidell, V. (2019). Can asset-based community development with children and youth enhance the level of participation in health promotion projects? A qualitative meta-synthesis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(19), 3778. Doi:10.3390/ijerph16193778
Golinowska, S., Groot, W., Baji, P., & Pavlova, M. (2016). Health promotion targeting older people. BMC health services research, 16(Suppl 5), 345. Doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1514-3
Goodall, J., & Vorhaus, J. (2011). Review of best practice in parental engagement. Web.
Probst, J. C., Barker, J. C., Enders, A., & Gardiner, P. (2018). Current state of child health in rural America: How context shapes children’s health. The Journal of Rural Health, 34, s3-s12. Doi:10.1111/jrh.12222