The essence of the family nursing approach is that the nurse communicates with all family members, even if providing care for only one of them. This approach is justified since family members can support each other when facing complex or difficult diagnoses (Bell, 2016). Also, acquaintance with all family members and their medical history helps to create a comprehensive assessment that may be highly beneficial for the treatment of chronic diseases. This paper aims to present relevant theories in family nursing and describe how they support current and emerging trends.
Therapeutic Conversations
High-quality communication between a healthcare worker and family members can be a decisive factor when working with families, one of whose members has a severe diagnosis, whether it be a child or an adult. A common form of communication with families is a therapeutic conversation. Scientists note that therapeutic conversation is “the heart of family care practice” (Bell, 2016, p. 441). That is why the nurse must have communication skills to lead the therapeutic conversation in the right direction. In particular, scientists note the need for cognitive and perceptual, that is observation and judgment skills (Bell, 2016). During the conversation, the focus should be kept not only on a specific patient but also on “observing the relationships and interactions between family members” to avoid the automation of understanding (Bell, 2016, p. 446). When conducting a conversation, the nurse must understand what beliefs in the family exist regarding the medical prognosis, what issues are most urgent and painful for family members, and what ideas the nurse can offer to solve their problems.
Social Media
No less important is the creation of the information field for the family in which they could talk about the disease, and look for explanations related to it. In this regard, social networks can be the best assistance. Scientists note that a nurse practitioner can use social media to create their network of contacts interested in their professional issues (Looman, 2016). It can be both experts in advanced fields of science and medicine and followers: nurse practitioners, the media, bloggers, teachers, volunteers, and patients. In this context, the nurse can create a high-quality information field for family members that will provide support in the process of their fight against the disease.
Most scientists and medical practitioners confirm the importance of interactive work practices. In particular, Bell (2017) notes that from 2007 to 2017, technological progress stepped forward at a fantastic pace. Such a sharp jump led to the disorientation of many members of society and could be the cause of political unrest in many countries (Bell, 2017). But the good news is that technological progress has made a considerable contribution to the development of science and medicine. That is why medical workers should find a way to adapt to changes and introduce new medical practices into their work. Besides, the author notes that it is time for medical professionals to change their old views and open up to new perspectives.
Thus, relevant theories in family nursing were described, as well as how these theories can complement each other. To summarize it, therapeutic conversations help clarify the underlying problems of patients. At the same time, social media can be the basis for creating a comfortable and supportive information field for nurses and their patients. Besides, scientists emphasize the importance of introducing new approaches in medical practice.
References
Bell, J. M. (2017). Social media and family nursing scholars: Catching up with 2007. Journal of Family Nursing, 23(1), 3–12.
Bell, J. M. (2016). The central importance of therapeutic conversations in family nursing: Can talking be healing? Journal of Family Nursing, 22(4), 439–449.
Looman, W. S. (2016). Confessions of a reluctant tweeter: Using social media to advance family nursing. Journal of Family Nursing, 22(1), 3–5.