The concept of family nursing

A system-based conceptualization of family nursing is suggested, with family nursing practised on three system levels. The level of individual family members views the family as the context of the individuals. The interpersonal level addresses dyads and larger units and the family system level includes the structural and functional system components interacting with the environment. Intervention on a higher system level includes the lower levels. While family nursing falls within the practice scope of all nurses, intervention aimed at system change requires holistic understanding of the intricate relationships between family system components and the skills of clinical specialists.