Roles and Responsibilities of Nurse in Family Health

Subject: Community Health Nursing II

Overview

Roles and responsibilities of nursing in family health:

  • Health watcher: A nurse is the only employee who regularly visits family members. and who establish trustworthy relationships with her family, enabling her to keep track of their well-being. The ongoing communication offers trustworthy information for spotting any variations in typical health.
  • Although the community health nurse's focus is on illness prevention, health promotion, maintenance, and rehabilitation, she also plays the function of care provider for ill and disabled family members.
  • Coordinator: Community health nurses are considered to be providing services to family members when a sick family member returns home from the hospital. Family health services are also provided by doctors, dentists, nutritionists, and physiotherapists in addition to community health nurses. In order to obtain cross-sectoral and multi-sectoral cooperation for the promotion and maintenance of the families' good health, the nurse coordinates with numerous industries, including agriculture, banking, communication, education, and industry.
  • Facilitator: One of the nurse's key responsibilities is to remove obstacles that prevent the family from receiving services and being able to access them. Sometimes families balk at using the available resources because they are unsure of how to go about it. The nurse can assist in this circumstance by setting up the required arrangements or making the appropriate referrals, such as for a water plant, family planning, an STD checkup, etc.
  • Health educator: This is the nurse's most common form of intervention. As she interacts with the family, she determines the need for health care, whether it be preventive, promotional, rehabilitative, or curative, and she provides the proper instruction on the relevant subject, such as nutrition, environmental sanitation, and family planning education, among other things. Every interaction with the family is a teaching moment.
  • Counselor: She is friendly, helpful, empathetic, etc. since she is a nurse. She quickly gains the confidence and trust of family members. For the most private and intimate issue, she consults and looks for assistance. She is able to effectively counsel the family member as a result. Depending on the situation, the nurse may fill additional duties. However, they are all connected to the main job of helping families manage health issues by enhancing their capacity to carry out health-related chores.
  • Nurse acts as a motivator for the family members to adopt healthy behaviors and perspectives. She even inspires people to identify their health requirements, look for medical assistance, and promote and preserve their own health.
  • The nurse serves as a change agent to encourage people to adopt more positive attitudes. For instance, the nurse advises the family to give ORS or to drink enough fluids when the patient is experiencing diarrhea.
  • Family health nurses diagnose families based on their health needs and choose the best course of action to take in order to solve problems with the assistance of the family.
  • Supervisor: The family health nurse directs the actions of the community members or subordinates and guides, motivates, and inspires them to achieve the predetermined goals or objectives.
  • Advocate: The family health nurse can use her nursing expertise to influence policy changes that will benefit the client. She can exert pressure on organizations to change their rules or instruct relatives on how to get around such limitations.
  • Researcher: In order to modify and improve family health, the nurse conducts research on health issues, family health services, personal health habits, and family member attitudes.
  • On the basis of the families' health needs or difficulties, the family health nurse plans a variety of health measures and activities.
  • Manager: The nurse organizes materials, finances, and human resources while developing the necessary plans and policies for a variety of health programs. The community members' cooperation and coordination are used to carry out all of these management tasks.
  • Evaluator: Through routine follow-up visits or supervision, the nurse periodically assesses the health education, health services, or care given to the family or its members in order to determine the efficacy of the service without introducing any biases.

Roles and responsibilities of the nurse in family health:

Assisting the family in efficiently coping with health issues by enhancing its ability to carry out the necessary health tasks is the specific role of the nurse in family health care.

The nurse can be observed assuming different roles as she helps the family improve its coping skills. They include the following:

  • Health monitor:
    Since a nurse is the only employee who interacts with family members frequently and builds a rapport of trust, this enables her to keep track of the family members' health and illness. The ongoing communication offers trustworthy information for spotting any changes in typical health.
  • Care provider:
    Although the community health nurse's focus is on illness prevention, health promotion, maintenance, and rehabilitation, she also has the responsibility of caring for sick and disabled family members.
    In most cases, nurse family interaction is sparked by a family member's illness. At this point, a family requires nurses, and solid interpersonal relationships and trust are built while providing care in front of family members at home. By watching or listening to instruction, they will be able to perform or provide care independently.
  • Coordinator:
    Community health nurses are regarded as serving family members when an ill person returns home from the hospital. Family health services are also provided by doctors, dentists, nutritionists, and physiotherapists in addition to community health nurses. In order to obtain cross-sectoral and multi-sectoral cooperation for the promotion and maintenance of the families' good health, the nurse coordinates with numerous industries, including agriculture, banking, communication, education, and industry.
  • Facilitator:
    Eliminating a barrier that prevents the family from receiving services is one of the nurse's key responsibilities. Sometimes families balk at using the available resources because they are unsure of how to go about it. The nurse can assist in this circumstance by setting up the required arrangements or making the appropriate referrals, such as for a water plant, family planning, an STD checkup, etc.
  • Health educator:
    The nurse makes this intervention the most frequently. As she interacts with the family, she determines the need for health care, whether it be preventive, promotional, rehabilitative, or curative, and she provides the proper instruction on the relevant subject, such as nutrition, environmental sanitation, and family planning education, among other things. Every interaction with the family is a teaching moment.
  • Counsellor:
    She possesses traits like friendliness, helpfulness, empathy, etc. as a nurse. She quickly gains the confidence and trust of family members. For the most private and intimate issue, she consults and looks for assistance. She is able to effectively counsel the family member as a result.
    Depending on the situation, the nurse may fill additional roles. However, they are all connected to the main role of helping families manage health issues by enhancing their capacity to carry out health-related tasks.
  • Motivator:
    The nurse encourages the members of the family to adopt healthy behaviors and attitudes. She even inspires people to identify their health requirements, look for medical assistance, and promote and preserve their own health.
  • Change agent:
    To effect good changes in attitude, the nurse serves as a change agent. For instance, the nurse advises the family to give ORS or to drink enough fluids when the patient is experiencing diarrhea.
  • Problem solver:
    The family health nurse determines the appropriate course of action to take in order to solve problems with the assistance of the family members based on the family's health needs.
  • Supervisor:
    The family health nurse directs the action of the community members or subordinates to achieve the predetermined goals or objectives.
  • Advocator:
    The family health nurse can use her nursing expertise to influence systemic changes that will benefit the client. She can exert pressure on organizations to change their rules or instruct relatives on how to get around unnecessary limitations.
  • Researchers:
    In order to make changes and improve family health, the nurse conducts research on health issues, health services offered to families, health behaviors, and family member attitudes.
  • Planner:
    Based on the families' health needs or problems, the family health nurse plans a variety of health actions and activities.
  • Manager:
    The nurse oversees numerous health initiatives. organizes material, financial, and human resources and creates the necessary plans and policies. The community members' cooperation and coordination are used to carry out all of these management tasks.
  • Evaluator:
    By conducting routine follow-up visits or supervision, the nurse regularly assesses the health education, health services, or care given to the family or its members and, in doing so, determines the effectiveness of the service without harboring any prejudices.

REFERENCE

Basavan Thapa Bt, 2005, Community Health Nursing, JAYPEE BROTHERS medical Publisher (P) Ltd, New Delhi

Community Health Nursing, 2007, EducatiobalHLMC

Dr.Suwal S.N. & Tuitui R. (2063) A Textbook of Community Health Nursing, 1st edition, Vidyarthi Prakashan (P). Ltd. Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu

Neerja KP, 2003 (Reprint 2004), Textbook of Nursing Education, first edition, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd. New Delhi

Pradhan H.B., 1999, 3rd edition, A Textbook of Health Educational resources  for health

Savan Thapa BT, 2003 first edition (reprint 2004) Nursing Education, JAYPEE BROTHERS medical Publisher (P) Ltd, New Delhi
Things to remember
  • There many roles and responsibilities of nurses in family health.
  • Family health nurse plays following roles and responsibilities:
    • Health monitor
    • Care provider
    • Coordinator
    • Facilitator
    • Health educator
    • Counsellor
    • Motivator
    • Change agent
    • Problem solver
    • Superior 
    • Advocator
    • Researcher
    • Planner
    • Manager
    • Evaluator
Questions and Answers

Roles and responsibilities of nursing in family health are listed below:

  • Health Monitor:

Since a nurse is the only employee that interacts with family members frequently and builds a rapport of trust, this enables her to keep track of the family members' health and sickness. The ongoing communication offers trustworthy information to spot any alterations to one's typical state of health.

  • Care Provider:

Although the community health nurse's focus is on illness prevention, health promotion, maintenance, and rehabilitation, she also has the responsibility of caring for sick and handicapped family members.

In most cases, nurse family interaction is sparked by a family member's illness. At this point, a family requires nurses, and solid interpersonal relationships and trust are built while providing care in front of family members at home. By watching or listening to instruction, they will be able to perform or provide care independently.

  • Coordinator:

Family members may need assistance from a community health nurse when a sick family member returns home from the hospital. Family health services are also provided by doctors, dentists, nutritionists, and physiotherapists in addition to community health nurses. In order to obtain cross-sectoral and multi-sectoral cooperation for the promotion and maintenance of the families' good health, the nurse coordinates with numerous industries, including agriculture, banking, communication, education, and industry.

  • Facilitator:

Eliminating a barrier that prevents the family from receiving services is one of the nurse's key responsibilities. Sometimes families balk at using the available services because they are unsure of how to go about it. The nurse can assist in this situation by setting up the necessary arrangements or making the appropriate referrals, such as for a water plant, family planning, an STD checkup, etc.

  • Health educator:

The nurse makes this intervention the most frequently. As she interacts with the family, she determines the need for health care, whether it be preventive, promotional, rehabilitative, or curative, and she provides the proper instruction on the relevant subject, such as nutrition, environmental sanitation, and family planning education, among other things. Every interaction with the family is a teaching moment.

  • Counsellor:

She possesses traits like friendliness, helpfulness, empathy, etc. as a nurse. She quickly gains the confidence and trust of family members. For the most private and intimate issue, she consults and looks for assistance. She is able to effectively counsel the family member as a consequence.

Depending on the situation, the nurse may fill additional roles. However, they are all connected to the main role of helping families manage health issues by enhancing their capacity to carry out health-related tasks.

  • Motivator:

The nurse motivates the family members to adopt healthy practices and attitudes. She even motivates them to find out their health needs, seek health services, promote and maintain their own health.

  • Change Agent:

The nurse acts as a change agent to bring out positive changes in the attitude. Eg. The nurse encourages the family members to provide ORS or adequate fluid intake during Diarrhea.

  • Problem Solver:

The family health nurse makes a family diagnosis on the basis of health needs of the family and decides appropriate actions to solves the problems with the help of the family members.

  • Supervisor:

The family health nurse supervises guides and motivates the subordinates or community peoples and direct their action to meet the predetermined goals or objectives.

  • Advocator:

The family health nurse can use the nursing knowledge to bring about changes in the system to help the client. She can pressurize agencies into modifying policies or educate family members in ways to overcome needles restriction.

  • Researchers:

The nurse conducts research activities on health problems, health services provided to the families, health practices and attitude of the family members so that changes and improvement can be made on family health.

  • Planner:

The family health nurse plans various health actions and activities on the basis of health needs or problems of the families.

  • Manager:

The nurse manages various health programs organizes human resources, money, material and formulates the appropriate plans and policies. All these management are done through the cooperation and coordination of the community people.

  • Evaluator:

The nurse periodically evaluates the health education, health services or care provided to the family or its members by regular follow-up visit or supervision and thus finds out the effectiveness of service provided without any biases

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