INTRODUCTION

The family is the smallest unit of the society and the natural fundamental core of the
community and consequently, it is considered as the primordial recipient of the nursing effort,
which is contributory to the development, and progress of the community through active
involvement and self responsibilities of each constituent. It is composed of persons, male and
female, being molded to be as one, working hand in hand to maintain a good atmosphere among
the family members.
A nucleus controls the functions of the entire cell and can be thought as the command
center of the cell. The nucleus as well has different components which are all needed in order
for it and the cell to function well, same as with the commander or the head of the family and
the members who has different functions within the family.
The impression or status of each family will always affect the status of the community as
a whole. Community health nursing is a response to the health needs of the people. It does not
focus on a particular class or family. It is comprehensive and general in approach. Community
health service is not episodic as it requires continuous observation and monitoring of the
community as a whole. Promotion and preservation of the health of its different clients
(individual, family, group or community) is the primary goal of community health nursing.
The community is a group of people sharing geographic boundaries and/or values and
interests. (Maglaya, 2004) No two communities are alike. A nurse exposed in the community
learns how to interact and adapt to different kinds of people. The family is considered as the
basic unit of care in the community health nursing. It is in the family where a member develops
his health values, beliefs and practices. The family is a major influence in the health behaviors of

an individual. With this, it is important that families in a community are aware of the things and
practices pertaining to their health.
It is apt to say that community health nursing has a big role in the nursing education. It is
in the community where the student nurse learns nursing apart from the hospital setting as she
was exposed to different level of orientation. It is in the community where the saying nursing is
an art can be applied as a student nurse tries to give quality service using the available resources
in the health center.
Conducting a family case study is a means by which student nurse reaches and feels the
community through its basic structure the family. It is a tool in determining the health status of
a family through assessment and critical inspection. Through this, health related problems are
identified, thus giving the student nurse a hint on where to act and how to intervene. It is also a
means towards improving the health of the community people, making them more productive. To
come up with a family case study gives a sense of fulfillment to a student nurse as she was given
the opportunity to share their skills, knowledge and time to alleviate and uplift the living
condition of a family.
The group decided to choose family X as the subject of this case study. They believe that
the said family that was chosen by the student nurses is a picture of the majority of the family
here in our country: a family living in a poor environmental condition without enough resources
and lacks knowledge on vital health information and experiences other socio-economic related
problems. Though tiring as it is, reaching out to this family and mingling with them make the
student nurses feel the sense of fulfillment as they share theirr knowledge, skill and time to aid in
uplifting the condition of the family.

General Survey Assessment

During the day of assessment, the family members were assessed as follows:
Mr X, 74 years of age, legally married but lives separately with wife, looks according to
age; alert and responsive. Cooperative, but answers only questions he is comfortable of. Shows
difficulty recalling events. Poorly groomed and dressed. Often coughs with discharge. Dry skin
noted. White patches on head noted. Balding scalp noted. Weighs 58 kg. VS: B/P: 120/80, T:
35.9, PR: 79bpm, RR: 19rpm.
DX, 9 years old, female, looks morena, feels aloof and shy. Looks inappropriate for age
related to size and structure. Coherent and oriented to time, place and person. Poorly groomed
and dressed. Pale lips noted. VS: B/P: 110/70; T: 36.1, PR: 86bpm, RR: 20rpm.
EX, 7 years old, male, fair skin, well developed body structure. Poorly groomed and
dressed. VS: T: 35.5, PR: 84bpm, RR: 22rpm.

PROBLEM NO. _ SELF-MEDICATION

PROBLEM CRITERIA

WEIGHT

COMPUTATION

ACTUAL

2/3 x 1

SCORE
2/3

2/2 x 2

Nature of the Problem

Health Threat: 2
Foreseeable Crisis: 1

Problem

The condition can be

highly modifiable. If
the family receives the

Easily Modifiable: 2
Partially Modifiable:
1
Not Modifiable: 0

Preventive Potential

It is a health threat.

Health Deficit: 3

Modifiability of the

JUSTIFICATION

right health teaching,

1

0/3 x 1

3/3 x 1

Mr. X does not

management can be
regard it as
changed for the better.
The problem can be
important at all.
prevented if the family
This could be

High: 3
Moderate: 2

is educated on the
detrimental to his

Low: 1

importance of taking
health.
the proper medication.
Salience of the
Problem

Needs
immediate

attention: 2
Not
needing
immediate

attention: 1
Not
considered
as
problem: 0
Total Score

3 2/3

CUES

HEALTH
PROBLEM

S:
Kung
ginaubo ko
kay
nagainom
lang ko og
antibiotic.
Undangan
nako kung
mawala na
ang ubo, as
verbalized
by Mr. X.

SelfMedication

FAMILY
NURSING
PROBLEM
1. Inability to
recognize the
presence of the
problem due to
lack of adequate
knowledge
about the
possible harm or
bad effects of
self-medication.
2. Inability to
make decisions
w/ respect to
taking
appropriate
health action to
take due to:
Low salience of
the problem
Failure to
comprehend the
nature/magnitud
e of the
problem/conditi
on

GOAL OF
CARE

OBJECTIVES
OF CARE

NURSING
INTERVENTIONS

After an hour
of nursing
intervention,
Mr. X will
acknowledge
the need to
stop selfmedicating
himself and
will decide to
seek medical
attention.

After an hour of
nursing
intervention,
Mr. X will
exhibit the
following:
Be aware that
self-medication
is not safe to
his health.
Be aware of
the ill effects of
the
inappropriate
taking of
antibiotics.
Stop selfmedicating
himself.
Seek for
medical
consultation for
proper
prescription of
medication.

Educate the
patient that
inappropriate selfmedication is not
safe to health
especially
medications like
antibiotics.
Educate about
the harmful
effects of
inappropriate
taking of
antibiotics.
Instruct the
patient to stop
self-medication.
Encourage client
to seek for
medical
consultation for
proper
prescription of
medication.
Encourage the
use of herbal
resources like
lagundi for the
remedy of cough.

PRIORITIZE PROBLEM NO. _ SELF- MEDICATION

M
C