Deck 2: Cultural Competency

Question 1

An example of a "cold" condition would be

A)a fever.
B)a rash.
C)tuberculosis.
D)an ulcer.
E)a sore throat.

Answer 1

tuberculosis.

Question 2

A naturalistic or holistic approach to health care often assumes

A)that hot conditions require treatment with a hot remedy.
B)a reductionist view that looks to a very narrow cause and effect.
C)there are external factors that must be kept in balance.
D)that there are hot and cold conditions but not hot and cold remedies.
E)that hot and cold conditions are the same among different cultures.

Answer 2

there are external factors that must be kept in balance.

Question 3

A fixed image of any group that rejects its potential for originality or individuality is known as a(n)

A)acculturation.
B)norm.
C)stereotype.
D)ethnos.
E)custom.

Answer 3

stereotype.

Question 4

Which statement is true regarding the relationship of physical characteristics and culture?

A)Physical characteristics should be used to identify members of cultural groups.
B)There is a difference between distinguishing cultural characteristics and distinguishing physical characteristics.
C)To be a member of a specific culture, an individual must have certain identifiable physical characteristics.
D)Gender and race are the two essential physical characteristics used to identify cultural groups.
E)Whereas all cultural traits can be viewed as static, physical traits are dynamic.

Question 5

Which statement is true regarding impoverished people?

A)In the United States, socioeconomic status does not influence the delivery of health care.
B)The morbidity and mortality rates of impoverished people are greater than those of the middle class.
C)The morbidity and mortality rates of impoverished people are less than those of the middle class.
D)No reliable statistics exist regarding the relationship of poverty to morbidity and mortality.
E)The morbidity and mortality rates of impoverished people are similar to those of the middle class.

Question 6

A person's definition of illness is likely to be most influenced by:

A)race.
B)ritual.
C)enculturation.
D)age group.
E)socioeconomic class.

Question 7

As you explain your patient's condition to her husband, you notice that he is leaning toward you and pointedly blinking his eyes. Knowing that he is from England, your most appropriate response to this behavior is to

A)tell him that you understand his need to be alone.
B)ask whether he has any questions.
C)ask whether he would prefer to speak to the clinician.
D)tell him that it is all right to be angry.
E)stop questioning the patient immediately.

Question 8

In terms of cultural communication differences, Americans are more likely to _____ than other groups of patients.

A)emphasize attitudes and feelings
B)maintain eye contact
C)come quickly to the point
D)use silence comfortably
E)speak more softly than other cultures

Question 9

Which of the following describes a physical, not a cultural, differentiator?

A)Ritual
B)Rite
C)Race
D)Norm
E)Ethos

Question 10

A 22-year-old female nurse is interviewing an 86-year-old male patient. The patient avoids eye contact and answers questions only by saying, "Yeah," "No," or "I guess so." Which of the following is appropriate for the interviewer to say or ask?

A)"Why are you so depressed?"
B)"It's hard for me to gather useful information because your answers are so short."
C)"Are you uncomfortable talking with me?"
D)"Does your religion make it hard for you to answer my questions?"
E)"We will be able to communicate better if you will look at me."

Question 11

Because of common cultural food preferences, avoidance of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is likely to be most problematic for the hypertensive patient of which group?

A)Native Americans
B)Hispanics
C)Chinese
D)Italians
E)Orthodox Jews

Question 12

Informing a patient that he or she has a terminal illness is most likely to be discouraged in which cultural group?

A)Navajo Native Americans
B)Dominant Americans
C)First-generation African descendants
D)First-generation European descendants
E)Hispanics

Question 13

An aspect of traditional Western medicine that may be troublesome to many Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, and Arabs is Western medicine's attempt to

A)use a holistic approach that views a particular medical problem as part of a bigger picture.
B)determine a specific cause for every problem in a precise way.
C)establish harmony between a person and the entire cosmos.
D)use herbal remedies and rituals.
E)promote balance in an individual's life.

Question 14

Which question has the most potential for exploring a patient's cultural beliefs related to a health problem?

A)"How often do you have a medical examinations?"
B)"What are your age, race, and educational level?"
C)"What types of symptoms have you been having?"
D)"Why do you think you are having these symptoms?"
E)"Do you take herbal remedies?"

Question 15

Mr. L presents to the clinic with severe groin pain and a history of kidney stones. Mr. L's son tells you that for religious reasons, his father wishes to keep any stone that is passed into the urine filter that he has been using. What is your most appropriate response?

A)"With your father's permission, we will examine the stone and request that it be returned to him."
B)"The stone must be sent to the lab for examination and therefore cannot be kept."
C)"We cannot let him keep his stone because it violates our infection control policy."
D)"We don't know yet if your father has another kidney stone, so we must analyze this one."
E)"I have found it unwise to make these kinds of individual exceptions to hospital procedure."

Question 16

To develop cultural competence, one should

A)ignore one's own cultural beliefs.
B)attempt to convince the patient to accept institutional mores.
C)realize that cultural values are difficult to change and must be respected.
D)realize that all members of a cultural group behave the same way.
E)understand that an individual's culture has no effect on the delivery of health care in this country.

Question 17

Your new patient is a 40-year-old Middle Eastern man with a complaint of new abdominal pain. You are concerned about violating a cultural prohibition when you prepare to do his rectal examination. The best tactic would be to

A)do the examination because it is a necessary part of the physical examination.
B)ask a colleague from the same geographic area if this examination is acceptable.
C)inform the patient of the reason for the examination and ask if it is acceptable to him.
D)refer the patient to a provider more knowledgeable about cultural differences.
E)forego the examination for fear of violating cultural norms.

Question 18

In a naturalistic or holistic approach to health, an example of a "hot" condition would be

A)teething.
B)joint pain.
C)diarrhea.
D)a nasal cold.
E)a headache.

Question 19

An example of a cold food is

A)chocolate.
B)hard liquor.
C)oil.
D)onions.
E)a dairy product.

Question 20

Which maternal factor is most predictive of whether an infant will receive inoculations?

A)The mother has family support.
B)The mother is divorced.
C)The mother breastfeeds.
D)The mother uses drugs.
E)The mother received prenatal care.

Question 21

Knowledge of the culture(s) of the patient should be used to

A)form a standard practice procedure for that culture.
B)draw conclusions regarding individual patient needs.
C)form stereotypical categories.
D)help make the interview questions more pertinent.
E)form a sense of the patient based on prior knowledge.

Question 22

Adolescents most likely to smoke, abuse substances, perform poorly in school, and be depressed are those who are

A)from dual-income families.
B)from families that emphasize strong religious beliefs.
C)from deprived socioeconomic groups.
D)unsupervised after school.
E)involved in athletics after school.

Question 23

Being sensitive to cultural differences that may exist between you and the patient is most useful in the avoidance of

A)prejudice.
B)stereotypic judgment.
C)miscommunication.
D)opinion formation.
E)preaching to the patient.

Question 24

The attitudes of the health care professional are largely

A)acculturated and cannot be changed.
B)uninfluenced by patient behavior.
C)difficult for the patient to sense.
D)culturally derived.
E)irrelevant to the success of relationships with the patient.