Term Paper on "Family Theory Application"

Term Paper 6 pages (1595 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Family Theory Application

The purpose of this work is to select one of the theoretical frameworks that is applicable to family treatment and of which has been chosen specifically the 'ecology theory'. Addressed will be the essential features of the theoretical framework contained in this theory as well as the relationships that this framework proposes. Further the values underlying the theory will be examined and the applicability of the theoretical framework for the study of families and as a basis for care of families. Specific examples will be provided of the application to a particular population or situation involving family care. The published evidence for the usefulness of the theory as well as the overall strengths and weaknesses of the theory will be examined. Finally the congruency of the theory with formed ideas and beliefs about families and care of families will be briefly discussed.

Introduction

For a family health model to be "most meaningful" according to a report entitled "Familial Research Reveals New Practice Model" Holistic Nursing Practice Vol.17 No.3 ISSN. 08879311 5-1-2003 written by Sharon a Denham, the model must be capable of the following:

Providing a framework that encourages a means of discourse to exchange ideas within nursing and among various healthcare professionals.

Incorporate the complex relationships of health potentials and illness care, family as client, nursing practice and embedded contexts.

Provide a venue for understanding the family commonalities and uniqueness effects the household production of health.

Incorporate both practitioner and family diversity into culturally relevant approaches that meet family health needs.

According to Denham, 2003, "Frameworks that intend to address family health that will be most meaningful for nurses must:

Be more inclusive in perspectives and not only concentrate on Western perspectives

Consider the longitudinal impact of complex embedded interactions on the family household across the life course.

Include sensitivity to family health perspectives influenced by larger societal and global viewpoints support needs and variant approaches to heterogeneous family forms.

Provide ways to engage in discourse about morality and justness in addressing diverse family's contemporary and future health care needs."

Furthermore the realm of scientific medicine has suffered in view of the public as stated below:

Despite the increase in technologic and scientific advances, there has been a level of public disenchantment with science and technology. In health care, this has surfaced in the recognition of a more humanized health care delivery system. Over the past decade, public interest in alternative and complementary therapies has increased. This interest is apparent both within and outside of the health care field related to holistic health care. A marked interest in health and healing by the lay public is clear from the increase in health-related literature, health clubs, health foods, and health providers, many of them outside the biomedical sector. The public's interest in ecology and spirituality coincides with a shrinking global perspective that allows increased accessibility to healing ideologies and strategies from other cultures." Sandelowski (2002)

I. Essential Features of the "Ecology Theory"

There is however, a model in existence that is an effective model in treatment of families by Nurse Practitioners and it is based on a theoretical framework of family ecology. The Ecological Model is one that contains nested environments of the:

Micro

Meso

Exo

Macro

In this nested environment the following describes the environment aspect of each of the above factors:

Micro: Individual or family environment

Meso: Interactions of Microenvironments

Exo: An outer level that operates indirectly on the microenvironment

Macro: Outermost Level, such as national society.

II. Relationships

Among the relationships that exist the relationship between the human individual and the environment are implicit. The wave pattern environment has been defined as "an irreducible, pan dimensional energy field identified by pattern and manifesting characteristics different from those on parts, Each environment field is specific to its' given human field. Both change continuously and creatively. (Rogers, 1992) the ecological model is one that focuses on interaction and interdependence and how they connect among the levels. Interaction at the Meso Level can be evidenced through interaction among parents and babies. The Exo Level type of interaction is stated to be "almost always indirect" or at least this is so on the baby's part. Existing at the Exo level is the workplace of the individuals as well as day care employees, the parks and Recreation Board within the city in which the family resides.

Interdependence at the Meso Level is that which might be influenced by the temperament of the baby or the Parents while interdependence at the Exo Level will be of an indirect type.

III. Validity and Congruence of Theory

The field occupied by the human individual is "integrally the same" or the individual is "at one" with the environmental field surrounding, containing and interacting on many and sometimes all levels with the individual. (Schodt, 1989) This was studied by McDonald (1986) who held that "if there is an perpetual mutual interaction between the human individual and the adjoining and correlating environmental field and its processes, changes in the field of either the environment or the individual will bring changes into being in the other field of either the environment or the individual. If this is true then "researchers should be able to demonstrate a relationship between a nurse-initiated modification in a person's environment and an alteration in that person's state of being" (McDonald, 1986). According to the work by Frances Biley and posted Online at http://medweb.uwcm.ac.uk/martha/theory.htm. stated is that:

In order to examine whether such nursing concepts can be brought down the ladder of abstraction to an operational level (Smith, 1988), McDonald tested whether an alteration in the colour of light (the environmental field) could bring about a reduction in rheumatoid arthritis pain in the left hands of 60 female volunteers (human fields) and found that blue lightwaves were related to a reduction in the experience of pain. This comparatively early and rigorously designed study showed that a "practical nursing intervention can be derived from Rogers' abstract system" (McDonald, 1986).Such findings re-emphasise a whole new world of nursing practice possibilities. It has been suggested that other interventions, such as music (Smith, 1986), humour or meditation can be used by the nurse to promote positive human-environment field patterning (Malinski, 1986d).

IV. Building Blocks Underlying the Theory:

This school of thought is based on the Five Basic Assumptions of Rogers, 1970 that describe the life process and development of man. (Rogers, 1970).

These assumptions of Rogers are the "building blocks" that are underlying the conceptual framework and are stated to be the following:

Wholeness: the human is considered to be the 'unified whole' that is a sum that is greater or larger than the sum of all the parts.

Openness: This is the concept in which the individual the environment are perpetually and on a continual basis exchanging matter and energy between themselves.

Unidirectionality: This is the life process existing along an "irreversible space time continuum."

Sentience & Thought: among all existing life only human beings are capable of abstraction, imagery, language and thought as well as sensation or emotion.

Application of the Theory:

This is an application that is utilized in many areas of medical care provision to families. The Family Nurse must consider all environmental factors that exist that cause effect in the lives of the individuals within the family who is in focus of treatment or preventative treatment.

According to (Meyers, 1998) in the abstract of the work entitled, ' an Ecological Approach to Enhancing Parenting Skills in Family Therapy "http: stated was that:

To increase the effectiveness of parent education interventions, family therapists can address those factors that shape the way in which parents interact with their children. This article presents ecological theory as a framework that can help clinicians expand the range of their parent training efforts. In order to assess… READ MORE

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