[Development and Application of Family Management in Nursing Care]

The concept of family management has gained increasing acceptance in the United States for over two decades and is today applied in care worldwide. However, this concept is still largely novel to clinical professionals in Taiwan. This article was written to present the history and current application of family management to promote greater recognition of the related opportunities and potentials in the nursing field. Understanding the family management style framework helps nursing professionals better grasp the dynamic situation in families while dealing with the primary health issues of patients. Awareness of adjustability and regulation of the family allows nursing professionals to understand and provide care to the entire family unit rather than to individual family members. Adapting family management measures and identifying the typology of family management may also be an efficient approach to conducting family evaluations and developing appropriate interventions. We reflect on these issues and offer suggestions on family management to inspire nursing professionals to pursue related research and clinical practicums to improve family nursing capabilities in the nursing field.