Deck 10: Caring for Families

Question 1

When working with families,the nurse may view the family as context or client.Which one of the following examples demonstrates the view of the family as context?
1) The family's ability to support the client's dietary and recreational needs
2) The client's ability to understand and manage his own personal dietary needs
3) The family's demands on the client that are based on the client's role performance
4) The adjustment of both the client and the family to changes in diet and exercise

Answer 1

2
When the nurse views the family as context,the primary focus is on the health and development of an individual member existing within the client's family.The client's ability to understand and manage his own dietary needs is an example of viewing the family as context.The family's ability to support the client's dietary and recreational needs is an example of viewing the family as client.The family's demands on the client based on his role performance is an example of viewing the family as client.The adjustment of the client and family to changes in diet and exercise is an example of viewing the family as system.

Question 2

The mother of a child receiving immunizations at a health clinic shares with the nurse that she and the child have not eaten today.Which of the following nursing interventions is best directed at impacting the immediate problem while being sensitive to the mother's sense of self-worth?
1) Notifying family services of the problem
2) Taking both mother and child to the cafeteria
3) Informing the mother that she is eligible for food stamps
4) Providing her with contacts at the neighborhood food bank

Answer 2

4
When caring for these families,the nurse needs to be sensitive to the family's desire for independence,but also help them with obtaining appropriate food,financial,and health care resources.Notifying family services may become necessary,but attempts to provide the mother with available means of assistance has priority.Taking them to the cafeteria would provide immediate food but does not address future needs or show sensitivity to the mother.Informing the mother about local and state aid may become necessary,but it does not address the immediate need,nor does it show sensitivity to the mother.

Question 3

The optimum goal of effective communication within the family,according to the nurse observing the family members and their interaction,is:
1) Problem solving and psychological support
2) Role development of individual members
3) Socialization among individual members
4) Better financial conditions for the family

Answer 3

1
The optimum goal of effective communication within the family is to be able to problem solve and provide psychological support for its members.Role development is not the optimum goal of effective communication within the family.Socialization among individual family members is not the optimum goal of effective communication within the family.Improving financial conditions for the family is not the optimum goal of effective communication within the family.

Question 4

Initially,the nurse should begin by doing what in completing a client's family assessment?
1) Collecting health data from all the family members
2) Testing the family's ability to cope with normal stressors
3) Evaluating the family's interpersonal communication patterns
4) Determining the client's definition of familiar structure and attitudes

Question 5

A nurse who is sensitive to the care of families recognizes that the term 'family' is primarily defined:
1) As individuals legally bound to the client
2) As people with biological connections to the client
3) In terms generally accepted by the majority of clients
4) By the client as individuals important to the client

Question 6

What would a nurse expect to find in an assessment of a healthy family?
1) Change is viewed as detrimental to the family.
2) There is a passive response to most stressors.
3) The structure is flexible enough to adapt to crises.
4) Minimum influence is being exerted on the environment.

Question 7

Which of the following is a gerontological principle related to families?
1) Later-life families need not work on developmental tasks.
2) The caregivers are often not members of the client's family.
3) Role reversal is usually expected and well accepted by the older client.
4) Support systems are likely to be different than those of younger age-groups.

Question 8

The nurse recognizes that the presence of an alcohol-abusing parent places a child at greatest risk for:
1) Homelessness
2) School truancy
3) Family violence
4) Accident-related injuries

Question 9

Of the following trends,which one represents the greatest current health care challenge to nurses?
1) Homelessness
2) Single parent families
3) Alternative relationship patterns
4) "Sandwiched" or middle generation

Question 10

Which of the following nursing statements has the greatest therapeutic value when counseling a 'sandwich generation' client caring for a chronically ill parent?
1) "I can help you in finding assistance with the in-home care."
2) "What is the most stressful aspect of caring for your parent?"
3) "I'm sure your children love having grandmother in the house."
4) "What do you do for relaxation now that your mom lives with you?"

Question 11

A client is unable to independently perform colostomy care due to arthritis.The nurse should first:
1) Offer to assist the client to learn to manage the care
2) Arrange for home care services to care for the colostomy
3) Inquire as to family members who may be able to assist with the care
4) Suggest that the client attend a colostomy self-help support group

Question 12

In assessing the roles and power structure of a client's nuclear family,the nurse should specifically ask the client:
1) "Who decides where to go on vacation?"
2) "What type of health care insurance do you have?"
3) "How many family members currently live in your home?"
4) "What types of social activities do you and your family enjoy?"

Question 13

The greatest risk to a child of adolescent parents comes from the:
1) Increased family stressors resulting in domestic violence
2) Lack of appropriate parenting resources and role models
3) Statically high potential for physical and emotional abuse
4) Parents inability to provide health care and economic support

Question 14

Needing assistance with daily living activities,an older adult with two grown children is being discharged home.Although both children live nearby,the daughter is expressing concern about handling her parent's physical needs.The nurse's initial response is to:
1) Work with the family on delegating responsibility
2) Suggest short-term nursing home placement to the client
3) Arrange for the client to remain hospitalized in the medical center
4) Make decisions for the family on how to manage the care at home

Question 15

The nurse is preparing a new mother for discharge when the woman shares that she is "worried about going back to work and its effects on my infant." The most therapeutic response by the nurse is:
1) "Do you want to go back to work?"
2) "Just be sure you have an excellent baby sitter."
3) "There is no proof that working will harm your baby."
4) "Can your husband share in the child care responsibilities?"

Question 16

Post discharge,the client is returning to their home environment.In assisting the client with that,specifically in implementing family-centered care,the nurse:
1) Provides personal beliefs regarding problem-solving
2) Assists the family members to assume dependent roles
3) Works with the client to accept responsibility for role in discourse
4) Offers both client and family information about necessary self-care abilities

Question 17

Which of the following is a current trend in families or family living?
1) People marrying earlier
2) Reduction in the divorce rate
3) People having more children
4) More people choosing to live alone

Question 18

The most important impact that truthful,timely communication between the nurse and the family of a critically ill client has is on the family's ability to:
1) Trust the nurse
2) Adjust to "bad news"
3) Be confident of the care the client is receiving
4) Make appropriate choices regarding client treatment

Question 19

The primary goal of family-centered nursing is to:
1) Promote the wellness of the family and its members
2) Implement appropriate care for the family and its members
3) Provide support and care for the family and its individual members
4) Identify physical and emotional problems affecting the family as a unit

Question 20

The nurse suspects that there is physical abuse present after visiting the client in the home.In recognition of the pattern of family violence,the nurse knows that:
1) Child abuse is declining in frequency
2) Spouses are the most frequent abusers
3) Mental illness is a major cause of abuse
4) Abuse is primarily seen in lower income families

Question 21

When attempting to meet the needs of the family,the nurse recognizes the central concept of the theory of family developmental stages is that:
1) Over time all families progress through developmental stages
2) Needs differ as the family progresses through the various stages
3) While each family is unique,they all tend to progress through similar stages
4) The family will progress only when all the challenges of a particular stage are met

Question 22

The nurse can primarily affect the effectiveness of a family's ability to cope with stress by encouraging:
1) Flexible roles
2) Distinct task assignment
3) Individual independence
4) Variable parenting models

Question 23

When caring for a terminally ill client,the nurse must also assess the family,because the primary benefit will be:
1) Effective use of time and resources in the end-of-life care of the client
2) Appropriate attention to the cultural beliefs and expectations of the family
3) Added information regarding the care needs and preferences of the client
4) The ability to respond effectively to the family unit during the dying process