Family hc;1llh nun;ing r,erspcclive includes two vit1ws: the family as unit of care and t J1c fo111ily ns context or selling of individual client care. This chapter and the next two clrnr,tcrs will c()ver cnnct:pts thal elucitla Lc on family hcallh nursing rnictice focusing on the family (ll> a functioning unit and clicnl-parlner. These concepts arc also applicahlc tc J individual dicnt care) within tltc family us context or set Ling. FAMILY NURSING PRACTICE: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Family 111. n-singpn,cti<. :cemplwsizcs the need to understand lhc behaviorofthe. family as a dyna111ic. functirrnini:; unit which affects its capability to help itself and maintain sysleni integ,·ity, 01· its rc;,dincs:. to wurl< with Llw 11u1"'!<e in cu Lam:ing wcl. lness or ::icldressin~ prohle1ns 011 health and illue~. Tlworctic. il framewc J rks prvvidc directions hy which the n11rse c;111 org;,nize observations. focus inquiries, design tbe arp Hcation of the nursing process in r:. unj]y nursing practice :rnd communicate ren. lities :-111d outcomes of care (Mele. is 1985). The Family Systems Theory views rhc family ns :1 living snci11l sy/;ICm v..ithin a conlcxl in whith 111nlliplc envirnnmcnlril ad inns or fudor:<; m:cur over lhe life r. ourse. It is cnmpo. ~f'CI of in1crrcla1 !. !cl 11nrl in tcrcl epcndcnt ind ividu.-i ls who are org. inized into a single 11ni1 so a'< In attain i<pecific family functions or ;;o:ils. \Vi thin the family system, lhe family mrmh!'rs interact as a f11nctir:mal whole. '171c hch. wiors of difforcnt members are complcmcnl;iry or recirrocal, involvin~ give,tnd t,1ke. ;iction or reaction. The interrelationships in a fn1nily sys-le. mare intricately tied loge I her such that a chang;e in any vnc pm·t inevitably 1·c,;l1lts in clwnµ. cs in tht: entire i;yslem. The interrelatedness of curnpuncnls i11 the farnily s_q;te111 !;LYE'S rise Lu new qualities and chnractcristics thal nrc" function of tha L i11terrcl:1tcd11ess (Friedrnnn 1992. p. 118). The family as n system has houndaries or filtering mcchnnisms (i. e. norms, values. nt-1 ii ucles an<l rules) which re~ul:ite the amount and flow of,11ncrg_v. inf()rmation, resfl11rccs aad slimuli to and from the cxtc·rnal Cll\'ironmcnt. nr herwern fomih· 111Pmbers as suhs Ystems with separate boumlnric:< aficding each other anc11hc familr :system a, a,vh~lc (Clcmen­ Stone & others 200~. p. 181). In 1,c-allhy fomil~· runc-tinnin~. inputs (i. e. cner)c\y, stimuli, rc. sn11rcl!. '> anti infnrmalinn that tht fnmily system retei,·t:s and proces!'. es) are screened so that the rmuily takes in what is nc<'dcd frnm the environment and assimilates or modilics ii ln pronwte its ow11 s11..-. ;val and growth (Friedman 199:!, p. u9). The family ;is:, sy~lem h;1~ lhe pr0pensity 111 evolve. and grow so Lhat as growth takes pince. the system becomes mo1·e complex. articula IP :111d dif;criminate (11 Ii nuchcn 1974 ). Trn11sadicmal µruccsses uri11ten11:tic111s arnong fomily members. whc, nccur,y position/s or roh:/s. promote ori J1hibi L fnmily ru,wtioni1111, t Clemen-Stone & otlwrs 2002. p. 178). The lntcractionnl Approach or Syn1bolic lntcractimrnl Framework,,iews the family as 11 11 nily of i11L. :r;-1cti11g persnrn1H I ics \\'huse arliom; are h;iscd nn meanings they derive from inlcrnclinn~ 1111d la ken in an ever chanµ. ing proct'sit of new interactions. new interprclalio11s. and ne,,· mea11iugs:. Symbolic: com mu 111\:<1Lion 1-1volvi ng from the self. inc1 Lhc c1n-iro11mcnl helps intli,;t111als inle1-pret and select the environment to whic. :11 they n:spqnd. Tltis frnmework i Jentili L·s huw relationsltips with others affect an individual's functioning. The 1 ntcr;1ct;onal Approach emphasizes the antecedents and consequences of such prncesscs. is communication, dc,·i:;ion-mnking and problem i;olving: tnnllii:1 m11nagcnwnljn~$Ol11tic1n: re. 1i:tinns Ln «tress; and <Jlher family sil. u:ition, influen<·C!rl h~, l:1mily int·erac1ioni, and inle. rilclive processt:s (Aldous 1978; Hill and I l,u1sen 1960). To understand the family"s beh,wior ancl n::alit-ie:;, the nurse musl ;;co the cxp1,!ri,111ce from the family's point of view, slriviug for shared meanings through consensus. incl feedback The Devc. lopmcntal A1>proac. h views familydevelopmcn t throughout its gene. ration. a 1 life cycle, higblii;hting critic:1\ periods of family growth and development across the life 51 