COURSE TITLE:

The Program

Course Syllabi

COURSE TITLE: Family Theory and Nursing Intervention Across Cultures

COURSE CREDIT

& CLOCK HOURS: 3 credits; 2 credits theory (2 hours), 1 credit field study (3 hours/week)

CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Students are exposed to selected family theories, family nursing assessment, interventions and evaluation. Culture, economic status and their influence on family structure and processes are addressed.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the historical roots and modern applications of selected theoretical models and perspectives used in nursing and other disciplines.

2. Explain the connection between family process and the health of the individuals by viewing the family system as

A basic unit in society

An agent that maintains and transforms culture

A system that promotes its own and its members’ development

A dynamic and interactional unit

3. Define the concept and process of family health from various theoretical perspectives.

4. Evaluate current research findings in view of lending support to selected theoretical perspectives.

5. Systematically observe and interpret family interactions in the context of the families’ life situations, culture and economic status.

6. Analyze and evaluate family processes and interventions with a focus on culture of both the family and the health care team.

7. Critically evaluate family interviewing and assessment techniques in terms of sensitivity to the family’s cultural values and interaction patterns.

8. Use diagnostic reasoning to assess family responses to changes in family health from the various perspectives of the clinical team members.

CLASS SCHEDULE: Web Course. Students’ own time.

TOPICAL OUTLINE:

I. Historical Development and Foundations of Family Theory and Family Nursing.

1. Nursing theory and the family

2. Family as individuals interacting with each other

3. Family as context

4. Family as the client

5. Family as stressor / resource

II. Family Structure, Process, and Health from Multiple Theoretical Perspectives

1. Interactional models

2. Systems models

3. Stress and coping models

4. Culture/ecological models

5. Developmental models

6. Social exchange models

III. The Framework of Systemic Organization (or another major framework)

1. Family Health and Congruence

2. The environment

3. Systemic Targets

4. Family process dimensions

5. Family nursing process

6. Environment, family, individuals and the nurse

IV. Family Assessment and Evaluation

1. Family interviewing techniques/instruments

2. Family health – resiliency versus crisis

3. Family process and individual health

4. Family culture, lifestyle, economics and family process

5. Family and individual development and health

6. Relationships support / conflict

V. Family Intervention and Outcome Evaluation

1. Guidance and advice for families in crisis

2. Health education in the family

3. Multidisciplinary co-operation and consultation

4. Use of informal and community support system

5. Counseling families in crisis

6. Evaluation of progress/goal attainment

TEACHING STRATEGIES:

Students are introduced to selected family theories presented as web-based modules.

In a web-based dialogue they will share knowledge and critique together sections of video-taped family interactions and therapy sessions. Based on these virtual family interactions, they will explicate theoretical concepts or processes and will analyze the use of theory-based intervention strategies.

During the clinical component, students are assigned to a nursing preceptor. Students licensed to practice will do family system assessments, interventions, and evaluations. Students not licensed to practice will become observers in a team of interdisciplinary health care practitioners.

Explanation: teams in host countries may not include graduate nursing students since the role of nurse practitioner is not common. European students in their own countries may not want to function as practitioners in their health care teams but rather as evaluators and/or consultants. They should be allowed to do so whereas other professionals engage in direct interventions. Nevertheless, they need to know about systemic interventions.

EVALUATION

METHODS: Records of web entries in chat groups, assignments of family analysis, family assessments, synthesis papers associated with each module (20% of grade per module).

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Bomar, P. (1996). Nurses and family health promotion. Philadelphia: Saunders.

Friedemann, M. L. (1995). The Framework of Systemic Organization: A conceptual approach to nursing and families. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & Pearce, J. K. (1996). Ethnicity and family therapy (2^nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

Walsh, F. (1993). Normal family processes (2^nd ed.). New York, Guilford.

Wright, L. M., & Leahy, M. (1994). Nurses and families: A guide to family assessment and intervention (3^rd ed.) Philadelphia: Davis.