Deck 3: Cultural Competence: Cultural Care

Question 1

The specific and distinct knowledge,beliefs,skills,and customs acquired by members of a society are known as:
1)mores.
2)norms.
3)culture.
4)social learning.

Answer 1

3
The culture that develops in any given society is always specific and distinctive,encompassing all of the knowledge,beliefs,customs,and skills acquired by members of the society.

Question 2

An individual who takes the magicoreligious perspective of illness and disease is likely to believe that their illness was caused by:
1)germs and viruses.
2)supernatural forces.
3)eating imbalanced foods.
4)an imbalance within his or her spiritual nature.

Answer 2

2
The third major way in which people view the world and explain the causation of illness is from a magicoreligious perspective.The basic premise of this explanatory model is that the world is seen as an arena in which supernatural forces dominate.The fate of the world and those in it depends on the actions of supernatural forces for good or evil.

Question 3

A woman who has lived in the United States for a year after moving from Europe has learned to speak English and is almost finished with her college degree.She now dresses like her peers and says that her family "back home" would hardly recognize her.This illustrates:
1)assimilation.
2)heritage consistency.
3)biculturalism.
4)acculturation.

Answer 3

1
Assimilation is the process by which a person develops a new cultural identity and becomes like members of the dominant culture.

Question 4

A physician in the clinic is frequently bothered when patients arrive late for appointments.He is so irritated by this behavior that he often finds it hard to provide appropriate care to these individuals.What should he do first in trying to overcome his difficulty?
1)Identify the meaning of health to the patient.
2)Understand that these cultural practices are helpful to the patient.
3)Allow the patients to arrive late and build this into his schedule.
4)Examine his own culturally based values,beliefs,attitudes,and practices.

Question 5

Illness is seen as a part of life's rhythmic course and as an outward sign of disharmony within.This statement most accurately reflects the views about illness from the:
1)naturalistic theory.
2)biomedical theory.
3)reductionist theory.
4)magicoreligious theory.

Question 6

A woman brings her 15-month-old son in for a well-child visit.When asked questions about his pattern of behaviors and appetite,she seems at a loss for answers.What is the nurse's best response?
1)Contact social services because she may be neglecting her son.
2)Determine whether she is the primary provider of care for her son.
3)Assume that she knows her son's habits and may be hiding something unusual.
4)Discuss with her how important it is to observe growth and development patterns to see a delay early.

Question 7

Which statement is accurate regarding one's ethnicity?
1)Ethnicity is dynamic and ever-changing.
2)Ethnicity is the belief in a higher power.
3)Ethnicity pertains to a social group within the social system that claims shared values and traditions.
4)It is learned from birth through the processes of language acquisition and socialization.

Question 8

Which of the following is the best definition of spirituality?
1)A personal search to discover a supreme being
2)An organized system of beliefs concerning the cause,nature,and purpose of the universe
3)A belief that each person exists forever in some form,such as a belief in reincarnation or the afterlife
4)That which arises out of each person's unique life experience and his or her personal effort to find purpose in life

Question 9

Culture has four basic characteristics.Which statement correctly reflects one of these characteristics?
1)Cultures are static and unchanging despite changes around them.
2)Cultures are never specific,which makes them hard to identify.
3)Culture is most clearly reflected in a person's language and behavior.
4)Culture adapts to specific environmental factors and available natural resources.

Question 10

In the majority culture of America,coughing,sweating,and diarrhea are symptoms of an illness.For some individuals of Mexican-American origin,however,these symptoms are a normal part of living.This is probably because Mexican-Americans:
1)have less efficient immune systems and are often ill.
2)consider these symptoms a part of normal living,not symptoms of ill health.
3)come from Mexico and coughing is normal and healthy there.
4)are usually in a lower socioeconomic group and are more likely to be sick.

Question 11

The largest and fasting growing population in the United States is:
1)Hispanics
2)Blacks
3)Asians
4)American Indians

Question 12

One aspect of society's value orientation concerns the dimension of time.An example of a person with "present" time value orientation would be:
1)a patient with a total hip replacement who has not been able to plan for discharge.
2)a patient with leukemia who continually seeks the latest medication and treatments.
3)a patient who feels loss after an amputation but is looking forward to finding out about prosthetic limbs.
4)a newly diagnosed diabetic who seeks a consultation with a medicine man who can contact ancestral spirits for guidance.

Question 13

Symptoms,such as pain,are often influenced by a person's cultural heritage.Which of the following is a true statement in regard to pain?
1)Nurses' attitudes toward their patients' pain are unrelated to their own experiences with pain.
2)The ethnic background of a patient is important in a nurse's assessment of that patient's pain.
3)A nurse's area of clinical practice is most likely to determine his or her assessment of a patient's pain.
4)A nurse's years of clinical experience and current position are a strong indicator of his or her response to patient pain.

Question 14

Why can working with children with a different cultural perspective be especially difficult?
1)Children have spiritual needs that are influenced by their stage of development.
2)Children have spiritual needs that are a direct reflection of what is occurring in the home.
3)Religious beliefs rarely affect the parents' perception of the illness.
4)Parents are often the decision makers and have no knowledge of their children's spiritual needs.

Question 15

Which statement is an appropriate component of one's spirituality?
1)Belief in the worship of God or gods
2)Attendance at a specific church
3)A personal effort to find purpose and meaning in life
4)Closely tied to one's ethnic background

Question 16

The term subculture is used:
1)to fit as many people into the majority culture as possible.
2)to define small groups of people who do not want to be identified with the larger culture.
3)to single out groups of people who suffer differential and unequal treatment as a result of cultural variations.
4)to identify fairly large groups of people with shared characteristics that are not common to all members of a culture.

Question 17

The germ theory,which posits that microscopic organisms such as bacteria and viruses are responsible for specific disease conditions,is a basic belief of which theory of illness?
1)Holistic
2)Biomedical
3)Naturalistic
4)Magicoreligious

Question 18

A 63-year-old Chinese-American man enters the hospital with complaints of chest pain,shortness of breath,and palpitations.Which statement most accurately reflects the nurse's best course of action?
1)The focus should be a full cardiac assessment.
2)He may be having difficulty after learning of his wife's cancer and is expressing psychosomatic complaints.
3)This patient is not in any danger at present and should be sent home with instructions to contact his physician.
4)It is unclear what is happening with this patient and his assessment should include physical and psychosocial realms.

Question 19

An elderly Mexican-American woman with traditional beliefs has been admitted to an inpatient care unit.A culturally sensitive nurse would:
1)contact the hospital administrator about the best course of action.
2)automatically get a curandero for her because it is not culturally appropriate for her to request one.
3)further assess her cultural beliefs and offer her assistance in contacting a curandero or priest if she desires.
4)ask the family what they would like to do because Mexican-Americans traditionally give control of decisions to their families.

Question 20

A patient is in the hospital with a new diagnosis of lung cancer.He is anxious and talks to his oncologist about getting the "latest and best treatment out there." This reflect which time orientation?
1)Past
2)Current
3)Present
4)Future

Question 21

Categories such as ethnicity,gender,and religion illustrate the concept of:
1)family.
2)cultures.
3)spirituality.
4)subcultures.

Question 22

Which of the following examples illustrates the concept of a cultural taboo?
1)Belief that illness is a punishment of sin
2)Trying prayer before seeking medical help
3)Refusing to accept blood products as part of treatment
4)Stating that a child's birth defect is the result of the parents' sins

Question 23

Which of the following illustrates an appropriate category in a cultural assessment?
1)Family history
2)Chief complaint
3)Medical history
4)Health-related beliefs

Question 24

When providing culturally competent care,nurses must incorporate cultural assessment into their health assessment.Which statement is most appropriate to use when initiating an assessment of cultural beliefs with an elderly American Indian patient?
1)"Are you of the Christian faith?"
2)"Do you want to see a medicine man?"
3)"How often do you seek help from medical providers?"
4)"What cultural or spiritual beliefs are important to you?"

Question 25

Which of the following statements illustrate proper cultural care? Select all that apply.
1)Examine the patient within the context of your own cultural health and illness practices.
2)Select questions that are not complex.
3)Ask questions rapidly.
4)Touch patients within the cultural boundaries of their heritage.
5)Pace questions throughout the physical examination.

Question 26

In the hot/cold theory,illnesses are believed to be caused by hot or cold entering the body.Which of the following patients' conditions is most consistent with a "cold" condition?
1)A diabetic patient with renal failure
2)A teenager with an abscessed tooth
3)A child with symptoms of itching and a rash
4)An elderly male with gastrointestinal discomfort

Question 27

Many individuals embrace the hot/cold theory of health illness.Which of the following best describes the basic tenets of this theory?
1)The causation of illness is based on supernatural forces that influence the humors of the body.
2)Herbs and medicines are classified on their physical characteristics of hot and cold and the humors of the body.
3)The four humors of the body consist of blood,yellow bile,spiritual connectedness,and social aspects of the individual.
4)The treatment of disease consists of adding or subtracting cold,heat,dryness,or wetness to restore the balance of the humors of the body.

Question 28

The first step in understanding the health care needs of another person is:
1)identifying the meaning of health to the other person.
2)understanding one's own heritage-based cultural values,beliefs,attitudes,and practices relevant to health and illness.
3)understanding how the health care delivery system works.
4)being knowledgable about the person's social background.

Question 29

The belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator(s)and ruler(s)of the universe is known as:
1)culture.
2)religion.
3)ethnicity.
4)spirituality.

Question 30

After a symptom is recognized,the first effort at treatment is often self-care.Which statement is true with regard to self-care?
1)Self-care is not recognized as valuable by most health care providers.
2)Self-care is usually ineffective and may delay more effective treatment.
3)Self-care is always less expensive than biomedical alternatives.
4)Self-care is influenced by the accessibility of over-the-counter medicines.

Question 31

There are a variety of healing beliefs and practices used by numerous subcultural groups in the United States.Which statement best explains why it is important for the nurse to be aware of alternative healing practices?
1)Many of these practices will interfere with the medical model of treatment.
2)Western medicines will interact with folk remedies and cause an adverse reaction for the patient.
3)The patient and family can be educated regarding the ineffectiveness of folk healing methods.
4)Many folk remedies are harmless and can be used in conjunction with Western medical practices and treatments.

Question 32

Which of the following culture-bound syndromes is more common among North Americans?
1)Bulimia
2)Evil eye
3)Empacho
4)Low blood

Question 33

Which of the following practices reflects traditional health and illness beliefs/practices of those of African heritage?
1)Health is the reward for good behavior.
2)Balance of the body and spirit
3)The wearing of jade amulets
4)Health is harmony with nature.