Deck 24: Vulnerable Populations

Question 1

A public health nurse (PHN) is starting a study of different populations in the community to see which groups have faced marginalization, and to what degree. The PHN is looking for evidence that:

A)A group has been discriminated against based on their race or ethnicity.
B)A group has been treated as if they are not important or of little consequence to the rest of society.
C)A group has been labeled by society as possessing a particular characteristic that is not valued, leading to a loss of status.
D)A group has been assigned a negative or positive belief that is believed to apply to the entire group.

Answer 1

A group has been treated as if they are not important or of little consequence to the rest of society.

Question 2

A nurse is caring for a young man who is squatting in an old factory a mile away. The nurse documents that he is experiencing what type of homelessness?

A)Primary
B)Secondary
C)Tertiary
D)He is not homeless because he has an indoor shelter in which to sleep.

Answer 2

Primary

Question 3

A nurse is performing a pelvic exam on a woman in her mid-twenties who has self-identified as a lesbian. The nurse asks the woman what type of birth control she uses and the woman asks her why she would need birth control since she is not at risk for becoming pregnant. How should the nurse respond?

A)"That's correct, you do not need contraception."
B)"You should consider contraception anyway, just in case you ever decide to be intimate with a man."
C)"You still need to use a barrier contraceptive because of the risk of sexually transmitted infections."
D)"Hormonal contraceptives might be a good option for you."

Answer 3

"You still need to use a barrier contraceptive because of the risk of sexually transmitted infections."

Question 4

A school nurse has observed an increase in bullying behavior in her school. The nurse has noticed that a lot of it seems to be directed toward two gay students and wonders if a school policy change is required to change this behavior. How should the school nurse proceed?

A)Institute a zero tolerance policy for any bullying behavior.
B)Set goals for zero incidents of bullying next year.
C)Perform a community assessment to see why the bullying behavior has increased.
D)Get the teachers involved in teaching anti-bullying behavior in the classroom.

Question 5

A nurse is preparing a class on caring for the homeless population. The nurse asks the class to brainstorm some risk factors for becoming homeless. Which of the following should the class list as known risk factors for homelessness? Select all that apply.

A)Young families
B)Caucasians
C)Single men
D)African Americans
E)Having a mental disorder

Question 6

A nurse has finished an initial assessment of a community with a high rate of obesity. The nurse has observed that socioeconomic status seems to be linked with poorer health outcomes in this community. What is the next step?

A)Set goals to reduce obesity rate by 5 percent in the next 3 years.
B)Set up a community fair to begin educating people in the community about healthy food choices.
C)Involve key members of the community in the goal setting and plan formation phase of the nursing process.
D)Perform a cultural assessment to see what other risk-factors may be associated with the rise of obesity in this community.

Question 7

A nurse is caring for a young homeless man on the medical floor of the local hospital. He was admitted several days ago to safely detox from alcohol. He reports having nowhere to go once he is discharged. Who should be involved in his discharge planning?

A)Social worker
B)Addiction specialist
C)Psychiatrist
D)All of the above

Question 8

A nurse is training for a new job at a community clinic after moving to Central California, an area rich in agriculture and migrant workers. The nurse asks about specific social and health issues that the migrant worker population faces and the nurse supervisor replies: Select all that apply.

A)They have difficulty establishing residency in a single location, making them ineligible for government benefits.
B)Most of them lack access to workers compensation or disability insurance.
C)Frequent travel and location changes make it difficult for them to establish continuity of care with a single provider.
D)Illegal immigration status is often a problem.
E)Language is often a barrier.

Question 9

A nurse is working with the local government to determine where best to spend money obtained from a new funding program. The nurse is looking for particularly vulnerable communities. Which of the following communities might be best served by the increased funding?

A)A primarily Hispanic community that is rich in culture and community
B)A low socioeconomic Caucasian community that is facing abnormally high levels of lung cancer
C)A middle class African American community with an obesity rate of 15 percent
D)An upper class community where there is an outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Question 10

A nurse is teaching a class about the effect of socioeconomic status on health outcomes. The nurse explains that socioeconomic status is related to:

A)Income.
B)Occupation.
C)Education.
D)All of the above.

Question 11

A nurse is sitting in a community clinic and chatting with a South American patient. He reports that other members of the community are rude to him and his family and act as if he and his family are not part of the community. He mentions that this is a common experience among the South American population living in town. The nurse knows that:

A)This likely plays no role in his health or health status.
B)This family is being stigmatized.
C)The family needs to focus on bonding with their South American community.
D)Marginalization can lead to increased vulnerability and health disparities.

Question 12

A nurse is working in a prison health center with female prisoners. The nurse is anticipating having to manage which of the following conditions that is three to five times higher in women prisoners than rates in the general population?

A)Cognitive disorders
B)HIV
C)Dental problems
D)Mental disorders

Question 13

A nurse received funding to start a mobile health unit to serve the health needs of the homeless population. In addition to a having a good understanding of noncommunicable diseases what other specialty areas would be helpful in caring for this population?

A)Treatment of substance use disorders
B)Treatment of communicable diseases
C)Treatment of mental health disorders
D)All of the above

Question 14

A nurse is teaching a class about vulnerable populations. The nurse explains that, according to one public health expert, communities have divided vulnerable population into three groups. Which of the following is not one of the three groups identified?

A)An undeserving group suffering as a result of their behavior
B)Children of parents who made "bad decisions"
C)A deserving group who became vulnerable through as an "act of God"
D)A deserving group who became vulnerable due to their ethnicity or race

Question 15

A nurse is working with a group of refugees who recently arrived in the United States after suffering conflict-related violence in their country. The nurse knows that they should be assessed for:

A)Communicable diseases.
B)Injuries related to torture or sexual assault.
C)Mental illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
D)All of the above.

Question 16

It is the first day of orientation for new graduate public health nurses. The instructor explains that as PHNs they will need to fill many roles, including which of the following? Select all that apply.

A)Educator
B)Advocate
C)Administrator
D)Researcher
E)Social worker

Question 17

A nurse is assessing a young mother who lost her job. She has no way to support her family and has found herself living on the streets because she doesn't have any other family in the area. Which of the following should she do first?

A)Look at the broader picture and see if there are any opportunities for policy change.
B)Help her find shelter at the community shelter for women and children.
C)Provide her with information on resources to help her with financial support while she seeks a new job.
D)Ask her to come back in 6 months for a reevaluation.

Question 18

A nurse is working within a community clinic on the Mexican-Californian border. The nurse frequently takes care of refugee families when they first arrive in the United States. When meeting with a new family, the nurse makes sure to inform them that they are eligible for which of the following services?

A)Medicaid eligibility
B)Free health insurance for 1 year
C)Housing and food support
D)Free English classes

Question 19

A nurse encounters a young woman with her child in the community. They do not speak English, but the nurse is fluent in Spanish and is able to communicate with them in their native language. The woman is very frightened and states that she can't go back to her country because the local government will harm her and her child if she does not convert to Catholicism. The nurse takes the woman to the local immigration office to apply for what status?

A)Asylee
B)Refugee
C)Immigrant
D)Permanent resident

Question 20

A nurse is speaking with politicians about the need to modify the poverty threshold to be fairer to people living in poverty and people living just over the poverty line. Which of the following are potential ways that the poverty threshold could be amended to be more accurate or fair? Select all that apply.

A)Amend it to reflect increased spending on health care and transportation.
B)Amend it to reflect increased housing costs.
C)Amend it to reflect increased need and cost of childcare.
D)Amend it to reflect increased spending on food.
E)Amend it to reflect regional cost of living.