62 An ecomap visunlly diagr:,ms the family's interactions or relationships with Lhe exten1111 environment and its resourc·cs. llsum111. :irize:c;o11 one page I he family strengths, con Diets and stresses in relation Lo its interactions witl1 ind. ivic. Jnal:; and agencies outside the family s_vstcm. As one of Lht:· forcrunncn< Lo use Llw ect)map, Harl1mu1 (1978) used the tool to l?. X:tminc boundary maintenaru:e nspet'. ls of fr1mily functioning. The ccomap dramatically il111slra1es the amount of<:?. nergy used by a f:1111ily lo rn;iintain its systelll, as v Jell as the presence or absence of situationa l supports nncl other family resources. ]t helps i<lcnlif-y how family energies ar-e being usec J nnd when relationships with the external environment-1re positively or negativel y in Oucndn)?, family funclioning. To ill\lstrate, if u family's tlovv of energy ns depicted on lht: ecomaµ 1·ellecls only an outward directional process(-...--), r-hc family may have difficulty p1·oviding a nurturing environm ent fo1· family members nnd nchieve ils gonls (Clemen-Slo ne nnd others 2002 p. 194-195). The ccomap is p;irricuh1 J"ly useful when the family is involved with several community systems or when the family perceives a lack of support from significa nt others. Family-life chronology helps cap:llre ~amily in L-eract iv_e pro~esses that J1ave_ evol~ed (Satir l967). Ltcun help tl1t' fanuly~<le~lify the ~trc~gths m fo,mly member re~atior~sh_1ps over time and the need Lo a-llc. r farmly f11nct10mng to reduce stress. By 1denttfymg latjonsllit difficult ic:s witl,in the family, the 1111rse can focllitate the development of re<.,. b Ii _, d'. effective family proct!sses by enc~ur~'. g'. ng mem ers to m" w11ys to 1scuss and ad<lress their difference:; io support of 111cliv1dual and family wellness (Clemen-Stone and others 2002 pp. 195-196). Appendic es B1 lo 83 describe how the genogram, ecomap and fanrily-life chronology are constmcted. DATA ANALYSIS Utilizing t J,e data gcner;1led from the tool on AS$essment D_;ita Base in Family Nursing Practice (See Table 2. 1), the nurse goes through data analysis. She sorts out and classifies or jlroups data by type 01· nature (e. ~. wbich are wellness states, threats, deficits, c,r stress points/foreseeable cr-iscs). Sbe rclntes them with e. ach other and determines patterns or reoccurring r-hcmcs among the data. She then compares these data,,nd the pottcrns or recurring themes with norms or standards. The standards or norm~ utilized in determining t J1e status o-f the family as a client or patienl can be classified into t J1ree lypes: 1. Normal healt J1 of indrvidual members; 2. Home and em;ronmental conditions conducive to health development, and; 3. Family characteristics, dynamics or level of functioning conducive to family growth aod development. Tbe first type-norrmil health of members-involves the physica l, social and emoti()lrn l well-beii,i:; of each fomily member. Home 11n<l environme ntal conditions include both the physical as well as the psychological and soc-io-cultun,1 milieu. Such n milieu considers the type and quality uf housing, aucquacy of Jiving space, adequacy of sanitation fnrilitics and rcso1u-ces lmtl1 in tlte home ;incl the community, the kind of neighborhood, psychological or socio-cultun~I norms. values, expecl;it ions or modes of lifo which enh:rnc(' health rlevclopnll'nt and prevent or cont·rol risk factors and hazards. TI1e thin. ! type-family rharactcdstic.,; or functioning-constitutes the client's ability as a system m maintain its boundary integrity and achieve its purposes through a dynamic interchange among its member s while responding to the externa l multi-