Using a strengths approach to understand relilience and build health capacity in families

Like the individuals that comprise them, families are not a static entity, they grow and change, and at times are strong, while at other times may become beleaguered with stress and difficulty (Silberberg 2001). Nurses have a crucial role to play in supporting families through all manner of crises and stressful situations. It is essential therefore that nurses engage in the discourses about family focused approaches and consider the potential benefits of using a strengths approach to understand resilience and build health capacity in families.