Functional Health Patterns - M. Gorden

Nursing theories

open access articles on nursing theories and models

Functional Health Patterns

Marjory Gordon (1931- 2015)

Introduction

  • Clinical nurses employ the Functional Health Patterns (FHP) model, created by Marjory Gordon, as a thorough and organized approach to evaluating eleven categories of human functioning.1
  • The self-administered Functional Health Pattern Assessment Screening Tool (FHPAST) is a questionnaire designed to assess health, functional, and risk issues.2
  • The Eleven FHP (Health Perception-Health Maintenance, Nutrition-Metabolic, Elimination, Activity-Exercise, Sleep-Rest, Coping-Stress, Self-Concept-Self-Perception, Cognitive-Perceptual, Role-Relationship, Sexuality-Reproductive, and Value-Belief) are interrelated, iterative, and interdependent.3

Key Points

  • Functional health patterns is an integral part of nursing documentation.4
  • Functional Health Patterns are used as an assessment framework to guide nurses in collecting relevant data to drive accuracy in nursing diagnosis.5
  • By using functional patterns, nurses can conduct a planned and methodical nursing assessment.6
  • NANDA-I Nursing Diagnosis classification is based on Gordon's functional health patterns.
  • Gorden's functional health pattern includes 11 categories which is a systematic and standardized approach to data collection.7

List of Functional Health Patterns7

  1. Health Perception – Health Management Pattern
      •  describes client’s perceived pattern of health and well-being and how health is managed.
  2. Nutritional – Metabolic Pattern
      • describes the pattern of food and fluid consumption relative to metabolic needs and pattern indicators of local nutrient supply
  3. Elimination Pattern
      •  describes the pattern of excretory function (bowel, bladder)
  4.  Activity – Exercise Pattern
      • describes patterns of exercise, activity, leisure, and recreation.
  5. Cognitive – Perceptual Pattern
      • describes sensory, perceptual, and cognitive pattern
  6. Sleep – Rest Pattern
      • describes patterns of sleep, rest, and relaxation.
  7. Self-perception – Self-concept Pattern
      • describes self-concept and perceptions of self (body comfort, image, feeling state)
  8. Role – Relationship Pattern
      •  describes patterns of role engagements and relationships.
  9. Sexuality – Reproductive Pattern
      • describes the client’s pattern of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with sexuality pattern, describes reproductive patterns.
  10. Coping – Stress Tolerance Pattern
      • describes general coping patterns and the effectiveness of the pattern in terms of stress tolerance.
  11. Value – Belief Pattern
      • describes the pattern of values and beliefs, including spiritual and /or goals that guide choices or decisions.

Major Research on FHP Models

  1. Gordon's FHP model application in Heart Failure patient nursing care was linked to a markedly higher quality of life and a lower rate of readmission to the hospital.8
  2. Functional Health Pattern Assessment Screening Tool (FHPAST) can be used to address health risks, overall well-being, and protective actions, as well as a framework for evaluating frailty in elderly hospital patients.1
  3. FHP model facilitate to identify FHPs (client strengths) and dysfunctional patterns (nursing diagnoses).9
  4. A study on relationship of perceived functional health patterns and recovery in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders shows that functional health is strongly associated with recovery and useful in promoting recovery.10
  5. The application of nursing assessment, which makes use of the patient assessment form based in Gordon's functional health patterns, can enhance students' learning as they develop their nursing processes.11
  6. Gordon's functional health patterns provide a holistic model for assessment of the family.12
  7. The functional health patterns are a framework to organize the nursing assessment of the neonate and his or her family, and this assessment is the data base for both nursing diagnosis and individualized care planning.13
  8. Literature on comprehensive nursing assessment tools using The Eleven Functional Health Patterns Assessment Framework are scarce.3
  9. The functional health pattern (FHP) framework was applied to test the psychometric properties of Functional Health Pattern Assessment Screening Tool – Modified Brazilian Version (FHPAST-BR) and the study found that the tool is reasonably reliable and valid for clinical use.14
  10.  A study on individuals' health perceptions and health anxiety within the framework of functional health patterns (FHP) during COVID-19 pandemic shows that individuals use the anxiety they experience to be vigilance against a potential health threat.15

References

  1.  Hiriscau EI, Cauli O, Donca V, Marinescu LA, Macarie AE, Avram L, et al. The Association between Functional Health Patterns and Frailty in Hospitalized Geriatric Patients. Geriatrics. 2024 Mar 26;9(2):41.
  2. Jones D, Duffy ME, Flanagan J, Foster F. Psychometric evaluation of the Functional Health Pattern Assessment Screening Tool (FHPAST). Int J Nurs Knowl. 2012 Oct;23(3):140–5.
  3. Gengo e Silva Butcher R de C, Jones DA. An integrative review of comprehensive nursing assessment tools developed based on Gordon’s Eleven Functional Health Patterns. Int J Nurs Knowl. 2021;32(4):294–307.
  4. Doyer B, Macker N, Radovich H. Functional health patterns: the postanesthesia care unit’s approach to identification. J Post Anesth Nurs. 1990 Jun;5(3):157–62.
  5. Herdman TH, Kamitsuru S, Lopes CT. NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2024-2026. Thieme; 2024. 685 p.
  6. Galvez Romero C. [Nursing methodology applicated in patients with pressure ulcers. Clinical report]. Rev Enfermeria Barc Spain. 2014 May;37(5):44–9.
  7. Gordon, M. Nursing Diagnosis: Process and application,. Third Edition. St. Louis: Mosby; 1994.
  8. Türen S, Enç N. A comparison of Gordon’s functional health patterns model and standard nursing care in symptomatic heart failure patients: A randomized controlled trial. Appl Nurs Res. 2020 Jun 1;53:151247.
  9.  Vincenz MC, Siskind MM. Functional health patterns: a curricular course model for adult acute care. Nurs Diagn ND Off J North Am Nurs Diagn Assoc. 1994;5(2):82–7.
  10. Keum R, Kim S. Perceived Functional Health Patterns and Recovery in People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2012 Sep 30;21(3):238–49.
  11. Khatiban M, Tohidi S, Shahdoust M. The effects of applying an assessment form based on the health functional patterns on nursing student’s attitude and skills in developing the nursing process. Int J Nurs Sci. 2019 Jun 6;6(3):329–33.
  12. Hooper JI. The family receiving home care: functional health pattern assessment. Home Care Provid. 1996;1(5):238–43; quiz 244–5.
  13. Rengucci LM. Neonatal Nursing Assessment by Functional Health Patterns. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am [Internet]. 1992 Sep 1 [cited 2024 Oct 4];4(3):471–80. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899588518306373
  14. Butcher R de CG e S, Guandalini LS, de Barros ALBL, Damiani BB, Jones DA. Psychometric evaluation of the Functional Health Pattern Assessment Screening Tool – Modified Brazilian Version. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem [Internet]. [cited 2024 Oct 4];32:e4119. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10949848/
  15. Alan S, Gokyildiz Surucu S, Avcibay Vurgec B, Cevik A. An investigation of individuals’ health anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic within the framework of the functional health patterns. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2021 Jul;57(3):1103–13.
This page was last updated on: 04/10/2024