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Family Assessment
Family Assessment
Jacqueline Soweidan
About a boy is a film from 2002 where an irresponsible bachelor, Will, winds up getting
involved with women’s twelve-year-old son, Marcus. The film starts by introducing the audience
to Will and Marcus. Will is a bachelor who has inherited his father’s money and doesn’t work,
his main goal is finding someone to date. Marcus is the other main character who is raised by his
single mother, Fiona. Fiona is often seen crying and depressed. Marcus remains by his mother’s
side and aims to help her create a better life for herself. Sadly, Marcus is made fun of at school
because his clothing is different, he sings out at random times and doesn’t have many friends.
Will started dating a single mother and realized he enjoyed the sex and thought it was less
responsibility. He was on a hunt to find more single mothers, he ended up attending a single
parent support group to help him meet more single mothers. While Will is at the support group
he ends up scheduling a date with one of the mothers, Suzie. He lies to the support group and
says he has a son. Will didn’t plan on becoming involved in any of the lives of these support
group members, he was just looking to find a date with a single mom. However, he finds himself
getting tangled up in a web of lies. Suzie and Will go to a date at the park. Suzie asks Will if they
can stop and pick up her friend’s child because his mother, Fiona, isn’t feeling well. They go to
the park and take Marcus with them. Once they finish up and go back to Marcus’ place they go
inside and see that Fiona has tried to commit suicide. She was rushed to the hospital and was
saved. She returns home with Marcus but their life doesn’t remain the same. Marcus seemed to
really like Will and starts to visit him at his house. Will and Marcus begin to become friends and
the movie continues on showing how their relationship develops and how Will essentially helps
Family is defined by Handson and Boyd as a self defined group of members who depend
on each other. The characters I have defined as a family in About a Boy are, Will, Fiona and
Marcus. I have defined these three as a family because they depend on each other for support and
problem solving. The history of the family is complex. The family is not healthy. Healthy is
defined Health is "state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity." Fiona attempted to commit suicide and her son witnessed this.
Fiona does not seem to have a physical problem, however, she does have a mental health
problem. Marcus is impacted by his mother’s inability to care for herself, being bullied at school,
not having a father figure, and feeling that his mother wants him to live a certain way. Will is
healthy. However, he is lonely and seems to have a previous unstable relationship with his father
where he was an alcoholic. There was a scene in the film where Will had a flash back of his
The family is overall, unhealthy. The family of Will, Fiona and Marcus was built on lies.
Will did not have a child that he claimed when he attended the single parents support group. This
is where Will met Fiona. Later on, he saw that she attempted to commit suicide and sees that
Regarding cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, these are all seen within the film. Will smokes
cigarettes and drinks alcohol. He also mentioned on Christmas, he enjoys getting drunk and
stoned. I assume this to be drug use. Fiona overdosed on her medications. The only time in the
film that a healthcare provider was visited was when Fiona was taken to the hospital after her
suicide attempt. Fiona also attends the support groups for help. However, no medical suggestions
to follow were given to any of the family members. No child abuse seemed to have taken place.
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 4
Though, Marcus did feel the impacts of having to watch after his mother due to her state of
depression.
Potential problems that the nurse could help the family with would include a referral to a
psychologist, physiatrist and social work. By referring the family to these providers it would help
with the depression that Fiona is dealing with. Social work and psychologists could help with
some of the family dysfunction that is occurring due to the depression Fiona is having. Also,
Marcus is impacted by his mother’s illness and the bullying going on at school so he would
The general appearance given of the family members and their home changes throughout the
film. At the beginning of the film, it is apparent that Fiona is depressed and constantly crying.
This also happened in later parts of the film as well. Marcus will watch her, and ask if something
is wrong. It appears that there are reversed roles at home. Marcus also stated, “I heard that some
parents teach their children at home, mom couldn’t do that unless I paid her.” Will does not live
• Nursing diagnosis:
o Impaired gas exchange r/t altered oxygen supply AEB tobacco use, coughing and
o Caregiver role strain r/t single parent and depression AEB Fiona depends on
Marcus to watch after her, Fiona’s depression, episodes of crying, Fiona asks
Nutritional-Metabolic Pattern
The overall impression of the family was that their food consumption is plentiful. Will is
often eating out at restaurants and enjoys making meals for himself. Marcus and Fiona are
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 5
vegetarians. They typically eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fiona doesn’t believe in allowing
Marcus to consume fast food. Marcus will have an afterschool snack when he goes to Will’s
house sometimes, it was seen he had jelly and toast a couple times. Fiona makes homemade
bread to be healthier. They have family meals together. It was not apparent if any vitamins or
supplements are being taken. Fiona drinks large amounts of tea. Marcus seems to drink soda
quiet frequently. Will drinks coffee every morning, and seems to have alcohol several times a
day. Will and Marcus seem to have appropriate appetites, though, Fiona doesn’t always seem to
have an appetite. No dental problems are apparent and there is no mention of dental visits. I did
not observe any skin or healing issues. I observed the family go out for lunch. Fiona ordered a
veggie platter, Marcus ordered a mushroom omelet with fries and a coke, and Will ordered a
steak sandwich.
• Nursing diagnosis:
Elimination Pattern
Elimination pattern was not highlighted much in the film. There was no mention of
laxatives or other aids being used. Nor was there mention of constipation or diarrhea. I can
assume that since their diets were primarily healthy and that there was no mention of laxative use
that there was not an issue with using the bathroom. Waste and garbage disposal were
appropriate. The homes did not look to have any garbage in inappropriate areas. There were
apparent areas as to were the garbage was to be placed and when the family was on walks it
could be seen that there were garbage cans in the community. Marcus had a pet rodent, it made
an appearance at the beginning of the film and didn’t show again. I was not able to observe
where the animal waste was being thrown away. There was no apparent problem with flies,
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 6
roaches or stray rodents. I am assuming that since both households seemed to be clean and well
kept that there would not be an issue with flies, roaches or rodents.
• Nursing diagnosis:
Activity-Exercise Pattern
Marcus and his mother walk to school together everyday. I am assuming that Marcus and
Fiona do not own a car, I did not ever see them driving a car that wasn’t Will’s. Marcus walked
to Will’s home when he would go over and Fiona would walk as well. The family got a good
amount of exercise due to the amount of walking that was seen. Will also had a bicycle that he
used at times. Family leisure activities were seen throughout the movie. Marcus and Will went to
the park, watched movies and went shopping together. Marcus and Fiona walked to school
together everyday. Overall, there was a good amount of family leisure activities taking place.
However, Marcus did state that “I wish my mom could teach me, but that would mean I would
have to pay or for it.” This is because Fiona has to work full time due to the fact that she is a
single parent. Moreover, it seemed that Marcus was able to spend time with Will because his
mother was working for long hours and he enjoyed spending time with him.
• Nursing diagnosis:
o Self care deficit r/t depression AEB inadequate personal care, attempting to
Sleep-Rest Pattern
Sleep is an important factor in health and different areas impact it. At the beginning of
the film, it seemed that Fiona was not well rested. She seemed drained and cried often in the
mornings. As the film progresses Fiona no longer wakes up this way and seems to be getting
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 7
more rest. Marcus has his own room and own bed. I assume he is sleeping well. However, I am
sure that after he witnessed his mothers attempt at suicide he experienced some sleepless nights.
Will has sufficient sleeping space and a quiet environment. He averages enough sleep at night.
Fiona and Marcus have busy schedules. Fiona is a single parent and works full time, this doesn’t
allow her to have much time to relax and I assume makes her stress level high. This affects
Marcus because he does mention that his mother is unable to teach him after school because she
is working. However, Will has plenty of time to find time to relax. Once Marcus began to visit
Will have to school they found time to relax together by watching television and going shopping.
The family lives in London and I assume that the neighborhood is conductive to sleep. They both
seem to live in the city, however, I did not see any moments as to where the neighborhood would
• Nursing diagnosis:
Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern
It is important to address hearing and visual issues at an early stage. However, I did not
witness any problems in the film and them were no visual aids apparent. The family speaks
English at home and outside of the home. The family did have to go through times where big
decision making was done. As mentioned before, Fiona attempted to commit suicide. This was a
very big decision on her part and it was made on her own. This decision affected how Marcus
was able to function, he then had to worry about if it would happen again and if he would have to
keep checking on his mom. Will made a decision to be part of Marcus and Fiona’s pre-existing
family. He made this decision by allowing Marcus to come over after school and becoming an
active member within their family. Marcus seems to not fit in with the other kids at his school,
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 8
nor did he at the previous schools he was at. He is made fun of because he dresses and acts
differently than the other kids. Also, Marcus will begin singing out loud at inappropriate times.
This could be a sign of autism. However, Marcus does not have any other areas that correlate
with the symptoms of autism so this does not lead me to believe he has autism. Marcus did have
a hallucination of his mother while he was at the park with Will. This may be due to the fact that
he was worried about her. I would assume that Marcus did have some anxiety about how his
mother was feeling due to her depression and frequent crying outbursts.
• Nursing diagnosis:
o Sensory overload r/t anxiety of Fiona’s condition AEB short attention span,
Self-Perception
Overall, I would say there are mixed emotions throughout the family members on how
they feel. Fiona is not constantly positive about herself, seeing that she attempted to commit
suicide. Towards the end of the film Fiona has an improved self image and says she no longer
feels how she used to. It seems that Fiona has a good support group and it is helping her attain a
better self image. Marcus doesn’t not always feel positive because he doesn’t fit in at school and
his mother’s depression have made him worried. I assume that due to this, Marcus gets the idea
that their family needs another person. This is where Will comes into the picture. Marcus
believes that their family that consist of just Fiona and Marcus cannot survive because two is just
not enough people. By having Marcus in their family is creates a better support system. Will has
a very positive self image. However, he finds him self questioning his self image when it comes
to dating.
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 9
The film starts out with the family (Fiona and Marcus) having a negative image of
themselves. This also portrays the family to have an anxious and depressed mood. Fiona is a
single mother and is struggling to make it by. The family mood is helped when Marcus begins to
visit Will and allows him to be an addition to the family. At the beginning of the film I would
define the family as just Marcus and Fiona. However, as the film progresses and Marcus and
Will’s relationship develops I would include Will as a member of their family. Family is self-
defined.
Being a single parent is hard and I assume that this contributed to Fiona’s depression. Her
relationship with her son, Marcus, could be improved. It is apparent that Fiona cares for her son,
however, she is not aware of how he is being treated at school and is unable to spend time
bonding with her son due to her work schedule. At times, Marcus felt that he was the one
watching after his mother due to her depression. These issues caused tension within their
relationship and closed some doors of communication. Marcus and Will’s relationship developed
throughout the film. The two at first were not best friends, however, Will saw how he could help
Marcus out. Through the time they spent together they were able to develop a positive
relationship.
• Nursing diagnosis:
basic needs, verbalization of feelings of self worth, relationship with Marcus, and
o Caregiver role strain r/t single parent and depression AEB Fiona depends on
Marcus to watch after her, Fiona’s depression, episodes of crying, Fiona asks
The sexual relationships were not a major factor in this film. The main character that this
section would pertain to would be Will. Will was dating several girls at the beginning of the film,
mainly looking for sexual relations. There was no mention of contraceptive use, family planning
or sexual problems. There was a moment in the film where Will searched the internet for girls in
see-through tops. Will also decided he liked dating single mothers because he enjoyed the sex
and they made him feel special. Will attended a parenting support group and lied about having a
child in attempt to meet a single mother. He did end up finding a date and this is how he found
• Nursing diagnosis:
The major change that has occurred with in the family is when Fiona attempted commit
suicide. This created more worry for Marcus and made him realize that he couldn’t watch over
his mom.
• Nursing diagnosis:
Marcus to watch after her and saying “I don’t feel that same as I did yesterday.”
Healthy People 2020 is a type of national well-being roadmap that was released in 2010.
The goal of Healthy People 2020 is to serve as a guideline for the nation’s health. This initiative
has different objectives and topics. I chose five of the main topics that related to About a Boy.
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 11
The most important objective I chose was, “Mental Health and Mental Disorders”. This is
number one relating to the film because many of the issues occurred due to mental illness. Fiona
didn’t always have the best care and resources available to her and this affected her family. Her
mental illness was the reason that she felt she needed to commit suicide. This is contributed to
the anxiety that Marcus felt at times. Marcus mentioned several times throughout the film that he
was worried about his mother and that he had to watch after her. For an adolescent this is a lot of
pressure. Moreover, the Fiona’s depression created a cycle of issues in her relationship with
Marcus.
Second, I chose “Adolescent Health.” This objective has important relations to the film
because much of the assessment focused on Marcus’ health. This goal focuses on the safety and
well being of adolescents. At times, I would argue that Marcus’ might not have been safe at
home and his social environment at times was challenging due to his mother’s depression and
being bullied at school. By focusing on adolescent health this will improve Marcus’ relationship
with his mother and allow him to receive the attention he needs.
Third, I chose “Social Determinants of Health.” This is slightly linked to the second
objective. Much of Marcus’ issues were due to him being bullied at school. He did not dress
similar to other kids because his mother was a single mom and couldn’t afford all the new and
trendy outfits. Also, Fiona relates to this objective because she seemed to be struggling as a
single mother. When she was released from the hospital there was no mention of other services
in the community that she could benefit from. Overall, this objective relates to multiple areas in
the film.
Fourth, I chose “Access to Health Services.” This is linked to the previous objective. It
seemed that mental health services were not easily accessible for Fiona. If there were more
FAMILY ASSESSMENT OF WILL, FIONA & MARCUS 12
health services that could be accessed easy, possibly, Fiona’s depression could have been
managed properly. The only time Fiona was seen with health care professionals was at the time
of her hospitalization. There was no follow up with her discharge. A visit with social work,
doctor, or psychologist would have been helpful in dealing with Fiona’s depression so the
Lastly, the objective I chose was “Tobacco Use.” I found this objective applicable
because Will smokes quite a bit. Tobacco use is detrimental to health causing cancer, heart
disease and other illnesses. Will was seen smoking several times throughout the film and there
was an ashtray full of cigarette buds on his coffee table. Overall, I believe these five objectives
from Healthy People 2020 are highly applicable to the film, About a Boy.
Care Plans
Gordon, M. (2011). Manual of nursing diagnosis. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Healthy People 2020 Topics and Objectives A-Z. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/
LeMone, P., & Burke, K. (2011). Medical-surgical nursing: Critical thinking for person-centred
Treas, L., & Wilkinson, J. (2013). Basic Nursing Nursing Skills Videos Concepts, Skills &
Reasoning. F A Davis.
Weitz, C. (2002). About a Boy (Widescreen Edition): Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz,
Nicholas Hoult, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, Nick Hornsby, Lynn Harris, Tim Bevan, Robert
De Niro, Brad Epstein, Eric Fellner, Jane Rosenthal, Peter Hedges: Movies & TV.
Grant/dp/B00005JL7Q