Domain 9. Coping-stress tolerance
Class 2. Coping responses
Diagnostic Code: 00075
Nanda label: Readiness for enhanced family coping
Diagnostic focus: Coping
Nursing diagnosis is the process of identifying and categorizing problems or issues of a patient's health care or well-being that can benefit from professional nursing care. It's an integral part of professional nursing practice, used to determine the effects of illness on a patient's physiological and psychosocial functioning, and how to treat those effects. This nursing diagnosis is an assessment made by a registered nurse of a patient's family system and dynamics in order to ascertain their level of readiness for being able to cope with new diagnoses, treatments and changes made to the mode of life.
NANDA Nursing Diagnosis Definition
The NANDA Nursing Diagnosis definition of Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping states "The ability of the family system to recognize and respond positively to a situation that affects an individual's health". This diagnosis is based on the premise that a strong support system among family members can enable an individual to cope better with unfavorable circumstances. It encompasses an evaluation of family dynamics and interaction in order to assess the potential positive or negative impact of an event on each family member's well-being.
Defining Characteristics
When assessing Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping, the nurse will look for the following subjectives and objectives:
Subjectives
- Expressions of concern for each other
- Indications of appreciation for one another
- Evidence of flexibility in regards to roles and responsibilities
- Evidence of shared decision-making
Objectives
- Increased willingness to express emotions
- Open communication among members
- Improvements in problem solving methods
- Improved trust among members
Suggestions for Use
When making a diagnosis of Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping, the nurse is being asked to assess the ability of the family system to recognize and respond positively to a condition that affects an individual's health. This could be used during a patient's initial admission to determine their baseline level of family coping skills, or to assess changes in levels depending on the disease progression.
Suggested Alternatives NANDA Nursing Diagnosis
- Ineffective family Coping: This diagnosis evaluates the family's ability to adequately provide emotional and physical support to a member in times of crisis. The aim is to identify any ineffective coping strategies and focus on providing interventions that address areas of need.
- Family Conflict: This diagnosis is used for assessing any type of family conflict either within the immediate family, or involving another outside family member like a grandparent or step-parent. The primary focus here is to eliminate stressors from the environment by implementing appropriate interventions.
- Caregiver Role Strain: This diagnoses evaluates the impact of caring for a family member who is unable to perform tasks for themselves. The aim is to identify potential sources of stress and address these through supportive interventions.
Usage Tips
When making this type of diagnosis, it is important to remember that each family is different, and all situations are unique. It is vital to ask questions that help the nurse to develop an understanding of the certain dynamics involved in the target family.
The nurse should also take extra care when assessing family members individually, as this can sometimes cause feelings of guilt and insecurity if done incorrectly. In addition, the nurse should try to gain an understanding of both the strengths and weaknesses of a family in order to aid them in better decision-making.
NOC Outcomes
When assessing a patient’s ability to cope within the family system, nurses may use any of the following NOC (Nursing Outcomes Classification) outcomes when making their diagnosis:
- Family Coping: This outcome measures family members' ability to flexibly and effectively respond to changes within the family system. It can be evaluated and rated by examining the family’s ability to deal with both expected and unexpected events effectively.
- Family Mobilization of Resources: This outcome evaluates the family’s ability to access and use necessary resources to meet the demands of changing conditions. Examples of these resources could include accessing financial support, seeking advice from external healthcare experts or family effort in providing emotional support.
- Family Communication: This outcome evaluates the overall effectiveness of communication within the family. This includes communication about decisions, sharing concerns, problem solving, conflict resolution, and discussion of goals and expectations.
Evaluation Objectives and Criteria
When evaluating the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping, the nurse should look to measure changes in the following areas:
- Increase in family acceptance of the current situation
- Level of satisfaction with the care provided
- Improvements in family functioning, such as communication and trust
- Improvements in the ability to problem solve
NIC Interventions
In order to promote Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping, nurses may utilize any of the following NIC (Nursing Interventions Classification) interventions:
- Family Education: Educating the family on potential changes within the family system can help them to understand and accept them better. This intervention should focus on providing information on healing and coping resources, goals of care, potential outcomes and other pertinent topics.
- Family Support: Providing emotional and physical support to the family can help to encourage positive response to the current situation. This can include offering support for personal matters, providing consultation and referrals when needed, attending physician visits with the family and locating support services as needed.
- Family Therapy: Engaging the family in therapy sessions can help them to address any conflicts, develop effective coping skills and improve communication among family members.
- Family Mediation: In cases of intense family conflict, the nurse may use mediation to intervene and help families come to an understanding or agreement regarding the situation.
Nursing Activities
When working with family members, there are certain activities that the nurse should engage in to ensure successful outcomes:
- Assess the family's individual strengths and limitations
- Assist the family in developing solutions to problems
- Encourage open discussions within the family
- Provide support and guidance to family members
- Empower family members to make informed decisions
Conclusion
Nursing diagnosis - Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping is an important tool for nurses to use when assessing the wellbeing and capability of families to support one another. Assessing family dynamics and interaction can help the nurse to identify factors that can positively or negatively affect how the family is coping with the current situation. By utilizing a variety of interventions and offering support to family members, the nurse can work to enhance the family’s overall readiness to cope.
FAQs
- What is nursing diagnosis - Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping?
Nursing diagnosis – Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping is a process used to evaluate the ability of a family system to recognize and positively respond to a situation that affects an individual's health. It entails an examination of family dynamics, roles and relationships to find out the potential benefits/harms that may come from changes in the family system. - What is assessed when diagnosing Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping?
A nurse will look for subjectives and objectives when assessing thisdiagnosis. These include expressions of concern for each other, indications of appreciation for one another, evidence of flexibility in regards to roles and responsibilities and evidence of shared decision-making. - What are the suggested alternative NANDA Nursing Diagnoses?
The suggested alternative NANDA Nursing Diagnoses for Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping are Ineffective Family Coping, Family Conflict and Caregiver Role Strain. - What are the possible NOC outcomes for Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping?
Possible NOC outcomes for Family Readiness for Enhanced Family Coping include Family Coping, Family Mobilization of Resources and Family Communication. - What activities should a nurse engage in when working with families?
When working with families, nurses should assess their individual strengths and limitations, assist the family in developing solutions to problems, encourage open discussions, provide support and guidance, and empower family members to make informed decisions.