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Family Visit

Chassie Turnbow

Middle Tennessee State University

 

Family Visit

            I did my family visit with a young couple in my community that just had a baby. I looked at their macro and micro- environmental risks, major health care needs and developed health interventions for the family. I used three assessment tools to assess the family. The tools addressed areas that the family could possibly have issues in. I used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and the Windshield survey for the family.

            The first assessment that I implemented was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. I decided to use this assessment because the family had a newborn baby. The mother and father reported that they usually went to bed around eleven thirty at night and it usually took them both around ten minutes to fall asleep. They both get up around five o’clock in the morning and the husband goes to work and the wife stays home with the baby. They reported that they get an average of about four to six hours of sleep at night. The mother reported less sleep because she gets up with the baby at night and often checks on her. They both reported feeling tired through out the day but did not have trouble staying awake for task such as driving, eating or social activity. The both reported a low level of sleep quality. The lack of sleep was due to the introduction of a new baby and her diagnosis of apnea.

            The second tool that I used for the family was the Beck Depression Inventory. I explained to the couple that they were to pick one statement in each group that best described how they felt in the past two weeks. The both scored below a nine and did not show signs of depression. They did seem somewhat stressed by the new baby but seemed to be coping with the change well.

            The Windshield Survey did not reveal to many macro or micro-environmental risk. The family was in a new community and the houses were in good condition. There were no signs of disrepair. The yards were not large but were of good size for the family. There seemed to be many young couples in their age group. Many of the young couples in the community had new babies or young children. They had access to good schools, shopping, and parks. The community was hard to navigate so this could be difficult for emergency medical personal.

            The major health concerns for the family were stress and lack of sleep. The family was under a great deal of stress due to the new addition to the family. The mother also seemed to be extremely stress by family. She expressed many times that her mother and her mother-in-law seemed to cause her a great deal of stress. They offered unwanted advice and were overbearing. She also seemed to be sleep deprived and was easily agitated.

            The assessments revealed that the family wasn’t getting sufficient sleep and that the mother was under some stress. The first nursing diagnosis for the family was anxiety related to psychological stress as evidenced by worries, fears, concerns, lack of sleep and mood. Interventions for the client included assess knowledge of parenting skills, encourage client to use coping skills that will enhance her sense of control, and allow family members to participate. The expected outcomes for the family were to express feelings of anxiety, have more confidence in their parenting skills, to show fewer signs of anxiety and allow family to help them so they can rest.

The second nursing diagnosis for the family was disturbed sleep pattern related to new family situation as evidenced by verbal complaints of lack of sleep. Interventions for the family included asking the mother what could be done different to help her get more sleep. I also asked the mother what measures could be taken to promote sleep and what environment helps her to sleep best. I helped the family to make a sleep schedule that would benefit both mother, father, and baby.

The plan of care for the family included ways to reduce anxiety and increase sleep time for both parents. I talked to the mother and found that she thought she would be a bad mother if she asked for help from the family. She felt that she should do everything for the baby. We talked about why she felt this way and why she was afraid to ask for help. We also talked about the husband’s schedule and how he could help more with the baby. I discovered that every night the mother goes to bed around eight with the baby and the father stays up until twelve. I suggested that the father watch the baby until he goes to bed so the mother could get quality sleep.

It was very interesting to visit the home of a young couple with a newborn. I could understand much of what they were going through because I have a newborn. Their baby was three weeks older than my baby. It was hard for me to separate my situation from theirs. I had to stop comparing it to my own situation and really listen to their concerns.