A patient comes from a close-knit extended family. If the patient's family functions as context, ...

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When you view the family as context, your primary focus is on the health and development of an individual member existing within a specific environment (i.e., the patient's family). When you view the family as patient, the family processes and relationships (e.g., parenting or family care-giving) are your primary focus of care. Focus your nursing assessment on the family patterns versus individual member characteristics. When you care for the family as a system, you are caring for each family member (family as context) and the family unit (family as patient), using all community, social, and psychosocial resources.