Family Coping Index

 The objective of this indicator is to present

bench mark for approximating the nursing
needs of a particular family, thus the FAMILY
FAMILY COPING INDEX.
COPING  It is the coping capacity and not the
INDEX underlying problem that is being rated. The
family cannot be seen only as a factor that
affects health; rather, the family is the patient.
  Comes under non-physical assessment
of the family nursing process.
Family coping This is the scale, which helps the
index individual to assess the need of nursing
care to the particular family.
  Meaning:

It is the tool used to assess the family’s coping index

 Coping means dealing with problems associated with
Family coping health care

index  Index means measurement of something.

 Thus the family coping index means the measurement
of the family capacity to deal with the problems
associated with the health care.
 PURPOSE:

 To provide a basis for estimating the nursing needs of a

particular family

HEALTH CARE NEED

Family Coping
Index  A family health care need is present when:
1. The family has a health problem with which they are
unable to cope.
2. There is a reasonable likelihood that nursing will
make a difference in the in the family’s ability to cope.
 Relation to Coping Nursing Need:
 COPING may be defined as dealing with
Family Coping problems associated with health care with
Index reasonable success.
 When the family is unable to cope with one or
another aspect of health care, it may be said to
have a “coping deficit”
 Two parts of the Coping index:
Direction for
Scaling
1) A point on the scale
2) A justification statement
  The scale enables you to place the
family in relation to their ability to cope
with the (9) nine areas of family nursing
Direction for at the time observed and as you would
Scaling expect it to be in 3 months or at the time
of discharge if nursing care were
provided.
  Each area has its own three grades among three grades any one
grade is to be estimated by the observation of the particular

Direction for factors in particular area.

 By placing the marker on that grade we will get the score at the
Scaling center of the marker.
 At the end the sum of all the scores is compared with the score
range by this statement, which tells us the need of nursing care
is obtained
(9) NINE 1) Physical independence

AREAS 2) Therapeutic communication

3) Knowledge of Health condition
4) Application of the principles of general hygiene
5) Health attitudes
6) Emotional competence
7) Family living
8) Physical environment Use of community facilities
  Coping capacity is rated from
1 (totally unable to manage this aspect
of family care)
Direction for 5 (able to handle this aspect of care
Scaling without help from community sources).
0 Check “no problem” if the particular
category is not relevant to the situation.
  The justification consists of brief
Direction for statement or phrases that explain
Scaling why you have rated the family as
you have. (result statement)
 The justification limited to three points:
Direction for a. Mildly need of nursing care.
Scaling b. Moderately need of nursing care.
c. Fully need of nursing care.
 The following points should be kept in mind when we use
the family coping index:
1) It is the coping capacity and not the underlying problem
that is being rated.
2) It is the family and not the individual that is being rated.

General 3) Rating should be done after 2-3 home visits when the
nurse is more acquainted with the family.
Considerations 4) The scale is as follows:
0-2 or no competence
3-5 coping in some fashion but poorly
6-8 moderately competent
9 fairly competent
 5). Justification- a brief statement that explains
why you have rated the family as you have.
General These statements should be expressed in terms of
Considerations behavior of observable facts. Example: “Family
nutrition includes basic 4 rather than good diet.
 6). Terminal rating is done at the end of the given
period of time. This enables the nurse to see
progress the family has made in their
General competence; whether the prognosis was
Considerations reasonable; and whether the family needs further
nursing service and where emphasis should be
placed.
 The following descriptive statements are “cues”
to help you as you rate family coping.
They are limited to three points –
Scaling Cues 1 Or no competence,
3 For moderate competence
5 For complete competence.
 1. Physical independence: This category is
concerned with the ability to move about to get
out of bed, to take care of daily grooming,
walking and other things which involves the daily

Areas to Be activities.

Assessed 2. Therapeutic Competence: This category

includes all the procedures or treatment
prescribed for the care of ill, such as giving
medication, dressings, exercise and relaxation,
special diets.
 3. Knowledge of Health Condition: This system
is concerned with the particular health condition
that is the occasion of care
4. Application of the Principles of General
Areas to Be Hygiene: This is concerned with the family
Assessed action in relation to maintaining family nutrition,
securing adequate rest and relaxation for family
members, carrying out accepted preventive
measures, such as immunization.
 5. Health Attitudes: This category is concerned
with the way the family feels about health care in
general, including preventive services, care of
illness and public health measures.
Areas to Be 6. Emotional Competence: This category has to
Assessed do with the maturity and integrity with which the
members of the family are able to meet the usual
stresses and problems of life, and to plan for
happy and fruitful living.
 7. Family Living: This category is concerned
largely with the interpersonal with the
interpersonal or group aspects of family life –
how well the members of the family get along
Areas to Be with one another, the ways in which they take
Assessed decisions affecting the family as a whole.
8. Physical Environment: This is concerned with
the home, the community and the work
environment as it affects family health.
 9. Use of Community Facilities: generally keeps
Areas to Be appointments. Follows through referrals. Tells
Assessed others about Health Departments services
  FAMILY NURSING ASSESSMENT is a deliberate and
systematic process of gathering and analyzing data to identify
and continuously validate health and nursing problems of
families.

CONCLUSIO
N  THE OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK for family nursing
assessment guides the nurse on how tom understand and work
with the family as a system and client as it goes through
growth, development, health and illness experiences among its
members
  By going through the process of data collection and analysis.
The nurse learns that families as clients have varied views of
life, that they hold different aspirations and that they respond to
CONCLUSIO situations or problems in unique ways.

N
 Family nursing assessment is an opportunity for learning about
that family’s ways of knowing.
END OF PRESENTATION