Assessment of stressors in families with a child who has a chronic condition

Nurses working with families who have children with a chronic condition are aware of the complexity of the tasks and stresses they deal with daily. The challenge is to uncover the issues that require the most immediate intervention while noting others for the future. This article describes the development of a comprehensive guide for experienced nurses to identify a family's stressors and tasks. It can be used with a broad range of chronic diagnoses. Nurses who have used the guide report that it helped them to focus and plan timely, appropriate nursing interventions with these families. It also serves as a record and planning tool for documenting issues that may become priorities for future interventions.