Family assessment and Nursing Diagnosis

Morrison family in Crow Lake

In his well-documented book, Crow Lake, the narrator Lawson describes the life of Kate Morrison, from age seven to age twenty nine. The premature accidental demise of her parents, novelties Kate and her siblings, Luke and Matt, the two big brothers, and Bo, her one and half year old sister experiencing choices and challenges that change each of their survival forever. Crow Lake is a main of those delight novels one consider and is instantly captivated in the survivals of the creatures. Kate Morrison, who is the narrator, refers us twenty one years back to the momentous year since she was seven old in years. That is the year when an accident slew both of her parents leaving her, her one-year-old sister Bo, as well as the two older brothers, Luke and Matt, an orphaned family. Despite allowing the offspring to be split up between relatives, nineteen years old Luke reaches a decision that he will sacrifice college and take care for his siblings. Life is difficult, but also interesting as the four live by their wits and assistance from friends and family (Lawson, 2003). 

Mostly, this is the narration of Kate and her affection for her brother. Matt has continuously been her idol, her inspiration and a role model. It is Matt, whom initially plants the notion of studying zoology in her mind, with his continuous entertaining journey to the nearby pools on their land. He is the over-achieving abstract of the family who entrances a secret plan with Kate. He will acquire his college graduation, and with the pleasing job he will get, he can raise payment for her to join college. When she attains the degree, both of them will help send Luke and Bo. Alas, the strategy goes askew when a terrible disaster at the neighbor's house rolls over to the Morrison’s and alters the direction of their entire lives. How Kate pacts with this calamity and its far-reaching impacts on her will with no doubt offers the reader quite much to consider, concerning families and the location that every child has in hers or his. This is a narration of great loss, love, and the healing which takes several years to achieve. It is a story of jealousy and resentment played between the powers of devotion. It is an elevating story of succeeding against awful odds and almost mislaying what is most essential (Lawson, 2003). 

Lawson's Crow Lake is a pleasing novel, the work that will upset away entire expectations of what it is entirely about. The novel that is recounted by Kate, who was a scientist in her twilight twenties, starts with the deceasing of both the Kate's parents in the car accident, an accident that leaves Kate with her three offspring orphans. Lawson probes into the nadirs of family linkages, familial love and expectations. One of the matters that brand this book dissimilar is Kate's description style. The story follows what occurred after her parents died, as that narration somewhat crashes with her current story. She was invited rear to Crow Lake, does not know whether she can tackle it; does not know if she must take her contemporary boyfriend. Her lasting problems are all instigated by what occurred to her family several years ago and it is thought-provoking and fascinating. Lawson uses her writing gift to capture the dilemma of Morrison family and to surround them with a collection of friends, neighbors and family, equipped with curious idiosyncrasies and noble hearts (Lawson, 2003). 

Friedman Family Assessment

The Friedman Family Assessment Model appeals weighty on the structure-operation framework and on progressiveness as system hypothesis. The model accounts a broad perspective to family assessment that views families as the subsystem of community. The family is perceived as exposed social systems. In this research, the matter to identify is the family assessment by the use of the Friedman Family Assessment Model, counting two nursing diagnosis. 

Friedman Family Assessment Model

The model has six stages which help nurses to identify the health status of a family. Morrison family is a complete family with parents and children. Unfortunately, parents unpredictably die after a fatal accident. Therefore, there is a family history which shows that parents have not perished as a result of chronic diseases or the universal virus killer, HIV. Additionally, it is clear that the family has strong emotional and physical background. This is indicated in the fact that children are able to cope with the tragedy and take care of each other. From the family history, the parents had taught their children the importance of care and love amongst themselves. This is why the children were committed to ensuring; none is endangered. In fact, the elder son decided to stop schooling for the sake of his siblings’ lives. The children did not even go to their relatives for survival. They worked hard on their own and managed to grow up. This indicates that the family had strong bonds which were planted within them by the parents. Identifying family data and family history, there are important categories in assessing family health status. The identifying data category assists nurses in knowing the current information in that family. Family history assists nurses to assess the health issues circulating in that family, so that they can predict what is most likely to happen in future.

Identifying Data

Morrison family lives in the Whittier California. This consist a two parent intimate that forty-two year Steve is the biological father and a husband who labors as the truck driver for the distribution business, and his wife Maria is as well the biological mother and a housewife. The Morrison kinfolk are middle-class and observe Catholic practices. Mother does not know how to speak English, sister speaks English, Romanian and Spanish fluently. Dietary habits are outdated as well as the home décor. Sister and mother have High school diplomas; though, do not own a college degree.

Developmental Stage and History of Family

Sister and mother have their living parents. Sister is not that far with her family and often interrelates with them. Mother, it was brought up by her grandmother; therefore, she does not own a close connection with her mother, although, mother’s grandmother has since died. Mother does not have offspring and sister is still near with her offspring. Developmental chore of the family are somehow accomplished with respect to the age; though, mother senses in competition with community and the weight that comes with it. J has not industrialized equilibrium between responsibility and freedom as suggested by her gravidness (Friedman et al., 2004).

Family functions

Effective functions

The Morrison family in the novel Crow Lake, provides mutual nurturance to each other by showing acceptance, warmth and love towards each other:

• The family members support each other when need arose, especially, after the death of their parents;
• The family members react adequately to each other by receiving and giving love and respect to each other;
• Forming significant relations with each other by showing love;
• The trust and closeness among Morrison children after the death of their parents made the members establish a close relationship amongst themselves;
• Despite the death of the parents, the children still felt loved and respected since their sister did her best to make them feel comfortable.

Socialization Function

Child-bearing exercise:

• As far as behavior control is concerned, the four children in Morrison’s family were effectively molded. Whenever Morrison’s children did something wrong, the parents corrected them immediately. This is indicted in the fact that the children were able to move on with life successively after the parents’ death. Additionally, the parents never used to reward their children with snacks and other useless gifts. Instead, the children were encouraged by word of mouth to continue with the good deeds. Therefore, the children continued with their good actions even when there was no one to reward them with gifts after the fatal accident that carried their parents away (Friedman et al., 2004);
• In receiving and giving love, Morrison family was close to each other. However, the family did not tell each other that they loved each other, but this was evidence in their actions and feelings they had for each other;
• As far as age proper behavior is concerned, Morrison children were effectively taught by their parents how to behave. The parents acted as role of models and teachers to their children. Therefore, the children emulate their parents and continued to take care of each other even after the death of the parents.

Health care function

Family heath values and beliefs:

• Morrison family values health. They believe that illness and diseases should be avoided;
• The family consistently believes that health should be promoted using all means that can improve health. This is shown when Matt drops school to ensure the siblings that they will not be divided among relatives and their health is catered for;
• The family promotes their health through having a balanced diet and going for a walk;
• The family aims at promoting health of all members so that they can all live happily and achieve what their parents did not achieve.

Family’s definition of illness:

• Morrison’s family defines health illness as physical, social and emotional abnormality at any particular time. When the parents were dead, there comes a physical illness which takes their lives away. This makes Matt to do his best to ensure his siblings to not go through emotional and mental illness. He sacrifices his school to ensure the family and remains healthy in all sectors;
• The family is capable of reporting any emotional, physical and social changes amongst themselves and report to medical practitioners;
• Since the family is educated, they can observe illness symptoms in one of their member and report to the doctor. Additionally, the family is capable of consulting the Internet or other relevant sources to understand an abnormal condition;
• The family can easily acquire health information from nurses and other sources and get appropriate help.

Family Stress, Coping and Adaptation

Family strengths, perceptions and stressors

At one point in period, there were no stressors that are suffered by the family. With no time, the family started experiencing two stressors, and the two stressors include:

Young adult member left home – this may have left the two sons that are still home experiencing sadness and it may exact pressure on them in trying to assist the daughter emerge happily positioned, and to regulate to this current move.

One member was married –  afterward, the oldest daughter moved out into her home, she got married and exacted maximum stress on the brothers; though, it expanded the family circle to accommodate new members. There are as well long term stressors in the family now, the death of both parents. If short period stressors befall, then the family was able to grip the strains and stressors of the daily family life.  In order to discourse the stressors, the family talked concerning the problem with one another and tried to treat or eliminate causes of the stressor rather than pushing it aside (Friedman et al., 2004).

Coping strategies

The family has to determine and assess of how robust the stressors afterwards find supportive fortes to poise. The family ensures that person do not keep these sentiments inside and that they do not let their stress build up out focused on other members. They deliberate the predicament with members of the family and exertion towards assisting this person all together.  When stressors come up in the family, it has a number of various means that they can respond to the stressors. The means that they react with stresses depends on the kind of the problem or the situation. If the stressor is not a main one, the family might just admit the circumstance, and proceed with their survival. The family really does not maintain their sentiments inside or when stressed up, it is not suitable for the member to outlay their sentiments out on other people. 

Family adaptation

Certain of the stressor coping mechanisms of a family can use the family group reliantly. In this case, the members prove more dependent on their resources, such as their family habits. In the periods of stress, the family endures close to each other and launches their common family routines. When the parents died, for instance several years ago, the family could spend their time together and could visit the protracted family, and they could do their normal norms so that they could stay focused, and keep moving with their survival while trying not to dwell on what happened too much. The family could try to normalize matters as much as possible. The family also manages with stress through greater sharing mutually. The family stocks their thoughts and feelings whenever it was under stress. The family never kept their feelings privileged. They engaged in family functions together. The family was able to familiarize to alterations that could occur in place in their surroundings. Entire family members used these same tactics when a stressor could arise. The family is functioning or managing great at this particular time. There exist no main stressors prevailing in the family at this period. When a short period stressor emerges in the home, they are able use their stressor coping strategies to pact with it, and they help and support one another.  

Tracking stressors, coping and adaptation over time

The effects of stressors on the family operating are that when stressors initially arise, such as when the both parents died for instance, the family was angry at first as well as a little bit stressed out. However, they utilized their coping plans to acquire throughout the hard moments and managed it well. It is quite essential for the family to sojourn close to one another and to be there for each other when it is needed.

Family health promotion

Flexibility in family roles and functions/responsibility

The family is quite flexible in the responsibilities and roles that every member performs. The roles are consistent and acceptable with family members’ prospects and rarely does role conflict or strain exist. If a single person cannot operate their role for any reason, then the other member of the family assisted them out to ensure that everyone is happy. Such case is seen where Kate sacrifices for the family. The family memberships are all faithful to each other and the family performs like a one close unit, assisting one another out, and supporting each other. Entire family members collaborate with each other and get along prodigious.

Clear and meaningful communication 

The family was very close to each other and as an outcome communication is quite essential. All members communicate to each another on timely basis whether it is over the telephone, or a face-to-face communication. During the weekends, family members typically communicate amenably after supper whilst sitting around one table, discussing essential things that might have happened in their lives. Each person in the family interrelates with persons in the society in a respectful manner. They do not only interact with people, but they as well interact with what the society has to provide, like the community groups, schools and church (Friedman et al., 2004).

Support, encouragement and security

The family is quite close and supportive of each other. The family senses a sense of security the moment they are composed; they feel protected and safe from any injury. Entire members are fortified to live healthy and happy lives.  As all associates of the family get older, everyone converts more mature all together. Everyone acquires from one another. The parents mature with their children while educating them current things. However, they also learn contemporary things from their offspring. It is, therefore, a continual take-and-give learning understanding, as the children get older. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Friedman Family Assessment Model has six categories which appeals weighty on the structure-operation framework and on progressiveness as system hypothesis. This model accounts a broad perspective to family assessment that views families as the subsystem of community. The family is perceived as exposed social system.  In this research, the Morison Family in the Lawson's novel Crow Lake has been assessed to know its health status. The matter to identify is the family assessment by the use of the Friedman Family Assessment Model, counting two nursing diagnosis. After collecting data from Morrison family in this novel, it is clear that the family is flexible in its roles, functions, and responsibilities. Secondly, the family has a clear and meaningful communication. Lastly, the family members support and encourage each other and care for security amongst them.