Question

A community nurse is preparing to develop a plan to work with families as the clients in a local community. What reasons would a family assessment need to be completed with the families prior to developing the plan? (Select all that apply.)

A) Families are a significant building block of the local community
B) Families often have unique values and needs
C) Members usually rally around families to ensure the health of the community
D) Community health nurse sometimes make visits to clients and their families
E) Community health nurses must first gauge the actual need of all members of the local community

Answer 1

Prior to developing a community health nursing plan, it is necessary to conduct a family assessment to understand each family's unique values and needs, gauge the actual health needs, and foster community investment and effective program development.

Step-by-step explanation:

A family assessment needs to be completed with families prior to developing a plan for community health nursing for several key reasons. First, families are integral to the structure and functioning of the community, and they significantly contribute to the local community's stability and resilience. Second, each family has its unique values and needs which must be understood to ensure that interventions are tailored effectively. Lastly, it is essential to gauge the actual health needs and resources of all community members to provide equitable and appropriate services. Such assessments also consider the roles and influence of different family and community actors to involve all who can impact the issue being addressed.

Through Participatory and Rapid Qualitative Assessment, community members' attitudes towards issues like education and specific practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are explored in depth. Building on the practices of community psychology, it is important for community health programs to undertake initial assessments to identify needs and to foster communication amongst community members and stakeholders, which is the foundation for effective program development and implementation. This engagement strategy fosters community investment and buy-in, key to the success of the intended health initiatives.