Question

How should you use Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns to assess individual health? What health screening interventions do you regularly participate in?

Answer 1

1)Ans)The functional health patterns construct is unique to nursing and serve as a framework to organise and analyze all the lifestyle factors that have an effect on children’s health. It is a model appropriate to the practice of all pediatric primary care providers. The use of functional health patterns focuses the provider’s practice directly on lifestyle and health behaviors and emphasizes the importance of health promotion. It is consistent with the vigorous attention primary care providers apply to the issues of nutrition, activity, coping and stress tolerance, tobacco and drug use, accident prevention, and other lifestyle factors. Lifestyle risk modification has the same or greater effect on health as managing minor illnesses in primary care practice.

Gordon's Functional health patterns framework developed by Marjorie Gordon. It provides 11 different aspects for recurring behaviors include Organising According to Gordon's 11 Functional Health Patterns

Functional Health Pattern Describes

Examples

1)Health Perception/Health Management:

Client's perceived pattern of health and well-being and how health is managed.

Compliance with medication regimen, use of health Promotion activities such as regular exercise, annual check-ups.

2)Nutritional -Metabolic Pattern of food and fluid

consumption relative to metabolic need and pattern; indicators of local nutrient supply.

Condition of skin, teeth, hair, nails,
mucous membranes; height and weight.

3)Elimination

Patterns of excretory function bowel, bladder, and skin. Includes client's perception of normal function.

Frequency of bowel movements, voiding pattern, pain on urination, appearance of urine and stool.

4)Activity -Exercise

Patterns of exercise, activity, leisure, and recreation.Exercise, hobbies. May include

cardiovascular and respiratory status,
mobility, and activities of daily living.

5) Cognitive Perceptual Sensory :

perceptual and cognitive patterns.
Vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell, pain
perception and management;
cognitive functions such as language, memory, and decision making.

6)Sleep-Rest

Patterns of sleep, rest, and relaxation.
Client's perception of quality and quantity
of sleep and energy, sleep aids, routines
client uses.

7) Self-Perception/Self Concept

Client's self concept pattern and
perceptions of self.
Body comfort, body image, feeling state, attitudes about self, perception of
abilities,objective data such as body
posture, eye contact, voice tone.

8)Role-Relationship

Client's pattern of role engagements
and relationships.
Perception of current major roles sand
responsibilities (e.g., father, husband,
salesman); satisfaction with family
, work, or social relationships.

9)Sexuality-Reproductive:

Patterns of satisfaction and
dissatisfaction with sexuality
pattern; reproductive pattern.
Number and histories of pregnancy and
childbirth; difficulties with sexual
functioning; satisfaction with sexual relationship.

10) Coping / Stress Tolerance

General coping pattern and effective of the pattern in terms of stress tolerance.
Client's usual manner of handling stress,
available support systems, perceived
ability to control or manage situations.

11) Value Belief

Patterns of values, beliefs (including
spiritual), and goals that guide client's choices or decisions.

Religious affiliation, what client perceives as important in life value - beliefs: conflicts related to health, special
religious practices

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