"Family" is defined as a unit/organization as a system of the OR operation (logical operation) of individuals, that is, living people, having the cognition of belonging by other constituent member(s). Family health care nursing is "With the nursing professional as the nucleus, the practical science of independently and autonomously maintaining and improving family functioning by the family system unit, and of preventative and therapeutic support to deal with family symptoms/signs in order to help enabling self-actualization of the family system unit." Family support seeks, for all family system units, from those in a state of well-being to those in a state of ill-being, to realize well-being for the family system unit in all segments of growth and development.

My guiding principle is "the Family First," and I have prioritized my time with families in both domestic and foreign fields. Knowledge concerning family health care nursing studies in the present form continues to progress, and I will spare no effort to achieve happiness for families.

My lifelong quest is the realization of "Family Nursing for All." By constructing a grand design for family health care nursing, and armed with theory, the essentials will lead to the practice of "support for families based on evidence and phronesis."

The practice and theory of family support can be likened to a "suspension bridge." The pillars are "evidence obtained through family health care nursing research," and the cables that suspend the bridge are the "family nursing theory." The path on which people cross over the bridge is "practice of support for families." To realize this practice of high-level support for families, it is essential for it to be backed by family nursing theory and experience.

For me, development of the Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory, i.e., the Hohashi Theory, and its actual applications, represent my life work. This is a never-ending quest that I have taken up on behalf of families around the world.

Naohiro Hohashi, PhD, RN, PHN, FAAN