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Family Nursing Problem Prioritization

Sep 7, 2025

Overview

This lecture explains the planning phase in the Family Nursing Process, focusing on the prioritization of health problems using specific criteria and a scoring system.

Planning in the Family Nursing Process

  • Planning is the third step in the Family Nursing Process.
  • Prioritization of health problems is essential because not all issues can be addressed at once.
  • The Philippine setting commonly uses the ranking scale devised by Bailon in Maglaya for prioritizing family health problems.

Criteria for Prioritizing Health Problems

  • Four main criteria for prioritization: Nature of the Problem, Modifiability, Preventive Potential, and Salience.
  • Each criterion is scored and weighted to determine which health problem should be addressed first.

Nature of the Problem

  • Classifies issues as Wellness Status, Health Deficit, Health Threat, or Foreseeable Crisis (Stress Point).
  • Wellness Status and Health Deficit score 3, Health Threat scores 2, Foreseeable Crisis scores 1.
  • Weight of this criterion is 1.

Modifiability of the Problem

  • Assesses how changeable the problem is: fully, partially, or not modifiable.
  • Factors: available knowledge, technology, interventions, and resources (family, nurse, community).
  • Easily modifiable scores 2, partially modifiable scores 1, not modifiable scores 0.
  • Weight of this criterion is 2 (most important).

Preventive Potential

  • Looks at the possibility of preventing future problems if interventions are done.
  • Factors: severity, duration, current management, and exposure risk.
  • Highly preventable scores 3, moderately preventable 2, low preventable 1.
  • Weight is 1.

Salience

  • Measures the family’s perception of the seriousness and urgency of the problem.
  • If the family acts immediately, score is 2; if not urgent, 1; if not recognized, 0.
  • Weight is 1.

Scoring and Ranking Process

  • Each identified problem is scored per criterion.
  • Score is divided by the highest possible score per criterion, then multiplied by the weight.
  • The sum of all weighted scores determines the priority; the highest total is the most urgent problem.
  • Example: COVID-19 as a health deficit might score highest and be prioritized first.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Family Nursing Process — A systematic approach to identify, prioritize, and address family health issues.
  • Nature of the Problem — Classification of the issue (wellness, deficit, threat, crisis).
  • Modifiability — Extent to which a problem can be changed or managed.
  • Preventive Potential — Likelihood of preventing future complications with intervention.
  • Salience — Importance of the problem as perceived by the family.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Practice scoring and ranking identified family health problems using the four criteria.
  • Prepare justifications for the scores assigned during prioritization.
  • Review next steps: setting goals, creating objectives, and planning interventions for top priority problems.