family medical history essay examples

Family health history

From the worksheet provided a lot of information is readily available regarding various conditions that are genetic that could cause death to a linear group of family members. In this case, however, I identify that my Maternal Great-Grandmother died of natural causes at age 97.  Therefore, such information shows that in my family line most of the hereditary diseases such as asthma among others are not available since they have not been transferred to my maternal grandmother nor my mother. On the other hand, my paternal grandfather died of natural causes at 96. In this case, therefore, it is apparent that my great-grandfathers died of natural deaths that would not raise any alarm on their next generation (Kaur, 2014). As such, my grandparents have led a healthy life tile late life ages. They would succumb to death on natural causes especially that they were old and fragile not only to foreign diseases but also any other foreign material that would harm their physical or spiritual beings.

Given that I am from humble backgrounds it means that my grandparents had to work all their lives past the retirement years more so because even at these odd ages they were not assured of their livelihoods. Further, they were not well educated which meant that they had to work the small jobs in the society to meet their needs. As such, they never had the time to complain nor visit hospitals for health checkups. Therefore, they worked and hoped that they were never sick of any ailment that was either temporary or genetic.   As such, it was notable that my parents have both grown in health without any diseases apart from the normal ones. Nonetheless, given that my grandparents had everything within their disposal, it meant that my father grew up feeding and living as he whatsoever wanted. As such he turned out obese and a tobacco addict.

As such the conditions of the old man are highly transferable to me and my kids as these traits might have never appeared as all my fore parents were actively involved in hard jobs that burnt all the fats and sugars that lead to diabetes and heart diseases (Maradiegue, 2013). As a result, it remains imperative to watch the diet I practice because unbalanced diet could result in obesity, diabetes, and eventual heart disease. I believe substituting proteins and fats that are usually from junk, and fast foods would become a huge step towards fighting obesity and diabetes. Additionally, observing a diet of vegetables, fibers and fruits would be beneficial to maintaining a healthy body that would fight any other foreign diseases. Further, it is essential to factor in physical exercises frequently. In so doing, the body is in a position to burn out excessive fats that normally accumulate in the body. These fats lead to veins vasoconstriction; a condition that highly contributes to hypertension and eventual stroke (Kaur, 2014). Nonetheless, I have established that my family lineage is a healthy one that requires minimal attention of watching diet and observing physical exercise to avoid development of fatal conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

• Kaur, J. (2014). Family history: a vital predictor of cardiovascular health.  International Journal Of Health ,  2 (1), 287.
• Maradiegue, A. (2013). Central American mothers report family history of depression and alcohol abuse as a predictor of teenage health risk behaviors.  Journal Of The American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners ,  22 (10), 540-547.
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Family Health History. Nursing Practice Essay

Family health history is very important as it provides information that can be used for health risk assessment. Providing information about one’s racial background helps the doctors assess the potential diseases and health conditions associated with the region of origin and adaptability patterns associated with the racial origin. Family health history also enable us access health care whenever we need it and therefore better manage our health care. Family health history improves efficiency in the diagnosis process and hence influences the health care that we receive. However, the question is the significance of the number of uncles and aunties in acquiring health care.

A few members of my family have been diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease. One of my uncles occasionally experiences heart failure and has always been hospitalized to seek treatment so as to normalize his heartbeat. Coronary artery disease is also known to cause a condition known as angina which occurs when an area in the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood flow due blockage of the heart muscles leading to pain in the chest, shoulders, back, arms, jaw as well as the neck (Baan, 2011). I was diagnosed with angina while I was 10 years old and although I have received treatment, it has never completely gone away. Similar conditions are also experienced by my father.

Spirituality in Nursing

According to Thomas, (1993), human beings are biological, psychological and also spiritual, therefore nursing care should also include spiritual care. The spiritual domain of patients is very important since some patients are always more concerned with their spiritual being than their physical nature. Therefore holistic assessment that includes assessment of spirituality helps create and maintain a bond with the patient and hence reduce distress in the patient. Effective assessment of a patient’s spirituality involves asking him or her about his or her concept of deity as well as his or her source of hope as well as strength. It will also involve asking the patient about his or her perception towards the significance of religious as well as ritual practices. Finally, it is also important to understand the patient’s belief on the relationship between his or her illness and his or her spiritual belief.

Some patients experience anxiety as well as guilt when they are about to die as they back-flash on their unfulfilled expectations, therefore to effectively help the patient overcome this, it is important to help the patient understand that the unfulfilled expectations are meaningless. This would help the patient accept him or herself regardless of his or her past thereby relieving his or her spiritual pain. For a nurse to gain more knowledge in spirituality, he or she must first be comfortable with matters of spirituality and must also develop his or her communication skills; and finally, should also be able to show empathy (Conrad, 1985).

Success Plan

In these particular areas where I have not been able to become competent, I have to gain the necessary skills through practical orientation programs and consistent training in the skills and procedures. This would enable me acquire evidence-based skills in nursing. I also plan to gain the skills by consulting the current evidence-based literature which includes nursing and health care journals, books as well as monographs (D’Amico, & Barbarito, 2007).

Reference List

Baan, J. (2011). Coronary artery disease , 22(1). Web.

Conrad, N.L. (1985). Spiritual support for the dying . Nursing Clinics of North America, 20 (2): 415-427. New York: Oxford University Press.

D’Amico, D., & Barbarito, C. (2007). Health and physical assessment in nursing . Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Thomas, P. (1993). Spiritual care outline, gerontology and palliative care . Melbourne, NSW: School of Nursing and Human Movement, Australian Catholic University.

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IvyPanda . "Family Health History. Nursing Practice." March 31, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/family-health-history-nursing-practice/.

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