A Hispanic patient tells an African-American nurse, "You are African-American and can't possibly understand how a person like me feels." What is an appropriate response by the nurse at this time?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By encouraging the patient to describe what he means by his statement, the nurse is demonstrating cultural awareness and sensitivity by gathering more data about the unique beliefs and value systems of this patient. Finding a nurse who is not African-American to interview the patient is neither necessary nor practical. Asking the patient "Why do you think that, since we just met?" sounds defensive and may not facilitate further communication. Making an assumption "that the patient is very defensive about being racially different" is not based on any data.

A Hispanic Patient Tells an African-American Nurse, "You Are African-American