Strengths And Weaknesses Of Family Theory

Family theories have been used throughout the history of nursing to help guide patient care and provide the best patient outcomes. Certain theories may be more applicable to the specific patient encounter; however, each theory has benefits and drawbacks to their use. The purpose of this paper is to examine two selected theories, comparing their strengths and weaknesses. I will also discuss a theoretical family in relation to one theory, and how that theory can be best integrated into the care provided by an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN).
Description of Theories
The Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) focuses on the theory that one patient’s illness affects the entire family. The nurse using the CFAM would evaluate the strengths and

The structural component included internal, external, and context. The internal aspect focused on the family composition, order of birth, and boundaries; the external aspect included the extended family (Leahey & Wright, 2016). Context included the broader aspect of patient care, which included their race, ethnicity, social class, religion, and environment (Leahey & Wright, 2016). Development within the CFAM included stages of development and attachments of family members to each other. The functional part of the CFAM included activities of daily living, as well as expressive components which were comprised of communication, problem solving, and roles (Leahey & Wright, 2016). This model is interesting because it is one of the most commonly used models and was created within the clinical setting.
The Chronic Care Model (CCM) is primarily patient-focused and was created to improve the care of patients with chronic medical conditions by allowing the patient to have

DD (46) is a diabetic that is controlled by diet, exercise, and daily Metformin. He is seeking care for elevated blood glucose levels. DD is married to MD (45). Together they have two children AD (22) and CD (18). AD is moving back into the family home after college while CD recently moved to a nearby college. MD’s mother, who was the primary caregiver of GG (72), recently passed away. GG suffers from dementia, among numerous other chronic conditions, and due to his medical condition, must move in with his daughter. MD had to quit her part time job to care for her ill father. This scenario has caused DD an immense amount of stress, from one child moving away to another moving home, and the recent addition of his father-in-law. who has a progressive disease, into the home. Financial resources would be stretched thin, and there would be an increase in the need for resources to provide transportation to GG’s doctor appointments. A nurse providing care to this family using the CFAM theory would need to discuss the possible resources the family has available in their community; however, their primary focus should be on the strengths the family currently has. These strengths can be assessed, and the they can use those strengths to empower the family