Learning Objective #1: Describe an artistic and innovative model used for identifying family members at risk for developing physical or psychosocial health problems

Learning Objective #2: Discuss using a visual analouge that can be completed quickly and used with diverse families with varied literacy and language levels

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Nurse Practitioners are on the front line of providing health care delivery to entire family units. Assessing the dynamics of the family unit is a crucial component of the Nurse Practitioner role, yet currently there is no standard approach for identifying those family members at risk for developing physical or psychosocial health problems. A short yet comprehensive tool for identifying vulnerability in families is scarce. The visual analogue aided students in identifying family members at risk for health problems. The Brass Family is a sculpture of a pyramid containing 7 human figures. A photographic image of the sculpture served as a pictorial representation of the family unit as part of an assessment tool known as the Visual Analogue of Family Health Dynamics. Family Nurse Practitioner students enrolled in practice courses were instructed in use of the visual analogue. Students applied the Visual Analogue of Family Health Dynamics by requesting family members to label the diagram and then interpret the results from their perspective. Comparisons of the student's and the family's placement and interpretation of the diagram then served as a stimulus for further investigation and dialogue. Students evaluated the tool at the end of each practice course. The Visual Analogue of Family Health Dynamics served as an immediate representation of relationships, family dynamics, and health issues that might otherwise be difficult to visualize or interpret. The tool could be completed quickly and required no reading skills, which makes the tool useful for assessing diverse families with varied literacy levels and languages. Application of an art form such as a sculpture of a family as a valuable tool for family practice is innovative and unique. In today's health arena, a tool that can dramatically enhance speed and accuracy in assessing families is a priority for all Family Nurse Practitioners.