Strengths Based Care: Empowering Persons and Families-for Nurses and Health Care Professionals

A strengths-based perspective is imperative for holistic care and empowerment. This book presents a strengths-based approach for every day nursing practice, describing why nurses work with strengths within the context of problems, challenges and deficits, how nurses assess for strengths, the strategies nurses employ to help people meet their challenges, and the beneficial effects of a strengths-based approach on the patient. The book also examines how to care for patients and families across settings (hospital, home, community), across the continuum of care (health, acute, chronic, rehabilitative, palliative), and across age groups (newborns to the elderly) by identifying and working with strengths to promote health and healing. Undergraduate and graduate students will find this text to be an essential tool as they seek to expand their understanding of strengths-based nursing. Clinicians, nurses, social workers, and therapists will also find this book useful. Key features: Identifies core strengths required for optimal functioning in health, recovery from illness, and managing crisis challengesProvides rich testimony from practicing nurses on how to identify, assess, mobilize, and develop strengths Includes pedagogical aides on a digital (DVD/web-based) adjunctDocuments effects of the strengths-based approach to nursing on patients, families, and nurses