All community health nurses must address five universal family characteristics in their practice. First, the family is a small social organization with many members interacting. Second, it serves a variety of essential functions in the community. Third, every family has a structure and moves through various phases in the life cycle. Fourth, every family is separate, with its cultural norms, standards, and beliefs. Finally, each family goes through several periods of the life cycle. According to Rector and Stanley (2022), these features are crucial to comprehending each family’s individuality. Therefore, understanding the peculiarities of the family will improve the care provided.
Families have a set of features that help to explain how they function as social systems. Generally, these are divided into five attributes, including “families are interdependent, maintain boundaries, exchange energy with their environments, able to adapt, and are goal-oriented (providing love, security, and a sense of belonging)” (Rector & Stanley, 2022, p. 1152). Overall, each member interacts with and influences the actions of the others.
The family is currently in the phase known as childbearing. Essentially, this is when a couple decides to start a family and have children. The critical task at this point is establishing a suitable home for the caregiver and the infant (Rector & Stanley, 2022). Another crucial necessity is the ability to adjust and encourage the child’s development. Overall, the community health nurse offers assistance on ways to create a strong bond.
Every family has a set of fundamental functions that guide its day-to-day operations. The six primary roles include providing affection, offering security, establishing control, instilling identity, fostering socialization, and enhancing affiliation (Rector & Stanley, 2022). In essence, these responsibilities extend to physical care, grooming of infants, and teaching social values. Generally, a family’s essential functions are determined by interactions with its offspring and other community members.
Reference
Rector, C., & Stanley, M. J. (2022). Community & public health nursing: Promoting the public’s health (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.