2023 1 I enjoyed learning more about the family theory and your explanation for choosing it

1-I enjoyed learning more about the family theory and your explanation for choosing it.  I truly believe in change affecting the whole family. For example, my father was recently diagnosed with diabetes and my mother changed her diet as well to accommodate the dietary needs of my dad.  When they came on vacation and stayed with us, I changed my eating habits, just for the time they were here, so we continued my dad’s eating habits from home. I am very sorry regarding your infant nephew.  What a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you continue on the path to healing. Even though I cannot really relate because I am the only child, Bowmen’s Family Systems Theory about birth order being a determinant part of behavior seems very interesting.  My husband could probably relate since they are three brothers and he is the middle child. He has a brother that behaves in ways that makes us think he was raised by different parents; He is a bit of an outcast.  I have one daughter and agree with you that they must be allowed to express themselves, as each day they learn who they are as individuals.  We are learning a lot of great theories, that can be applied not only to our patients, but to our families as well.

2-First, so sorry about your families loss. This theory did not feel like it would be appropriate to use for all family types due to the complexities of families today. It seemed very tedious and complicated. I am not sure how well it would work with untraditional type families. I probaly need to more research on this theory but , the reading I did made me feel like this theory was best used on the traditional middle class family that does not have enormous concerns, and looking more for promoting better health behaviors. I agree that when one family member is experiencing health issues, the rest of the family will feel that. 

3-The family can be a good influence for patients. If families can’t afford the healthier foods, then we as nurses need to help the find resources available to them, such as food banks or the Supplemental nutrition assistance programs in their area. Eating healthy foods leads to better health. If families see that you as a nurse cares, they are also more willing to take advice from you and trust that you know what’s best for them and their family member. If patients and their families  can trust us as nurses, their will be better patient outcomes because they are more likely to follow the our advice.