Social Science theoretical frameworks
Family Systems Theory
Developed by Dr. Murray Bowen in the 1950s, it came to existence through his observations regarding the patients’ and their families’ adaptation to anxiety and stress. The family systems theory is used by health care professionals, including nurses, when interacting with families in the community. As a Doctor of Nursing practice, it is imperative to acknowledge that families are sophisticated, interdependent emotional units. Interdependency always exists in family units; however, it can vary in different families. Additionally, such interdependence emerged from the basic needs of all organisms that influence well-being and health. It is critical to note that one aspect undermining a member’s health can escalate, leading to affecting other family members, for example, psychological disorders like stress and anxiety, which could lead to depression and substance abuse.
The theory assists members to recognize individual roles they are obliged to and the associated rules for adherence. It enables members to develop behavior change in responding to each other according to their responsibilities determined by relationships. Family system theory facilitates an individual’s family members to scrutinize their behavioral patterns and the relationships with those belonging in their multigenerational family. Subsequently, it generates new and more reliable options for health problem solving and alters the level of response to an individual’s role in keeping the family healthy (Bronner, Archibald, Lindong & Laymon, 2019). The theory shapes the family in the change of roles to maintain stability in the relationship and equilibrium in the family functions.
Friedman’s Structural-Functional Theory
The theory has the structural and functional aspects as its significant concepts. The fundamental component seeks to determine the family’s organization, composition, and the relationships among the members based on their values, role system, power, and communication (AlMutairi, Mansour Awad & AlMutairi, 2017). It is critical to identify a family’s cultural, religious, and parental influence on their health-seeking behaviors and patterns. It also influences how they allocate the available resources, time, and energy in promoting well-being. Assessment of communication patterns may indicate being functional or dysfunctional. A nurse interacting with a family will also evaluate the formal, informal, or assigned roles of family members if they change, the occurrence of conflicting roles and how they adapt, and flexibility in changing roles to achieve optimum health patterns. The functional component includes assessing the social and emotional needs of the family members and evaluating the basic physical needs and care that promote well-being. These include food, shelter, clothing, and accessing health care. Further, the socioeconomic and socialization assessment is essential in determining the level of awareness, perception of health, and the ease of access to healthcare resources. Family coping is another element requiring an evaluation to assess the adaptive pattern and problem-solving abilities on internal and external disruptors of health stability.
As a DNP, translation of theory or theoretical models into practice is vital. The utilization of a social science conceptual framework when interacting in the community requires applying essential III. It involves the application of clinical scholarship to translate such theoretical frameworks into practice through system-level thinking. When conducting a family assessment in the different biophysical environments, essential VIII (Advanced nursing practice) plays a vital role when the DNP focuses on conducting comprehensive needs assessments. Using advanced levels of clinical judgment and systems thinking identifies the unique health care needs in multiple health care settings (Evans‐Agnew, Reyes, Primomo, Meyer & Matlock‐Hightower, 2017). I conducted a family interview in my community; a subsequent summary in an ecomap and genogram is provided below.
References
AlMutairi, M. M., Mansour Awad, M., & AlMutairi, R. M. (2017). Working With Families in Illness and Health. International Journal of Chinese Medicine, 1(2), 45.
Bronner, Y., Archibald, P., Lindong, I., & Laymon, B. (2019). The Family: A Public Health Approach. In Handbook of Bowen Family Systems Theory and Research Methods (pp. 332-346). Routledge.
Evans‐Agnew, R., Reyes, D., Primomo, J., Meyer, K., & Matlock‐Hightower, C. (2017). Community health needs assessments: Expanding the boundaries of nursing education in population health. Public Health Nursing, 34(1), 69-77.