Community Health Nursing Theory Assignment

NUR 481
Marwah Ahmed Hakami
F11800127

Case Scenario:
Maxwell family has recently been told that the 8 year – old son - Johnny has
learning disability. This news is stressful to the mother - Cathy who looks agitated
and nervous. She is stressed on how to take care of her son and do the household
chores at the same time like cooking and cleaning and she even verbalized “ I gave
up, it’s too much “. In addition, she is recovering from the recent death of her
father due to road traffic accident. Her husband and daughter will be helping her on
how to manage Johnny’s medical condition including medication and behavior
management. In the past when she is still single, Cathy managed all the problems
mostly by herself but now that she has a family, she is always stressed that’s why
she looks old at the age of 35.
The community health nurse Shariffa knows that the way the family faces the
situation, it’s resources and their problem-solving abilities will play a big part in
their ability to adjust and eventually adapt to these stressful situations.

Instructions:  With the given scenario, create a plan of care utilizing the Nursing
Process.

1
 Assessment (Subjective & Objective)

Subjective:
The mother verbalized “I gave up, it’s too much''.
Inability to take care of the house and her son as mother mentioned
The Mother's Statements indicating inability to cope
Objective:
The Mother looks agitated, nervous, and stressed
The Mother is in the state of Bereavement as experience by father loss
The mother has difficulty in organizing household chores and taking care of her
son

Diagnosis (1)

Inability to provide adequate nursing care to the disabled learning child of

Maxwell family due to altered Mother's role strain , the mother's unexpressed
feelings and major life changes as evidence by the mother looks agitated, nervous,
and stressed secondly difficulty in organizing household chores and taking care of
disabled son.

Disabled family coping related to newly diagnosed child's condition and inability
to provide care As Evidence By the mother's Statements indicating inability to
cope.

2
 Planning (1)

To the extent of one week to three weeks, family members will participate in
aspects of patient’s care without evidence of increased conflict.
The mother will identify and demonstrate ability to use at least two healthy coping
behaviors while providing nursing care to her child.

Interventions (3)

Communicate therapeutically with patient and family members and allow

them to verbalize feelings.
Help the family identify which tasks to tackle now and which to put off until
the stress level decreases.
Help family members identify coping mechanisms used successfully in the
past to enable them to develop appropriate responses.
Encourage the mother to seek help and sources of support whenever she
needs without being hesitated.
Instruct and educate the mother and family about the essential of enrolling
their child to specialized school for learning difficulties.
Strengthen the mother’s efforts to go on with her life and normal routine.
Encourage family members to allow open expression of feelings.
Teach the mother about the plan of care that is specialized to her son and the
methods on how to teach her son.

3
 Evaluation (1)

The goal is partially met. Family members demonstrate improved willingness to

cooperate in child’s care but still need to work on the progress.

Reference:
The assessment & diagnosis of communities' reference that provided by instructor.
Sheila Sparks Ralph and Taylor, C.M. (2014). Sparks and Taylor’s nursing
diagnosis reference manual. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins Health. Pp: 86-88