Question 1

The nurse sets a goal to avoid stereotyping culturally diverse patients. Which of the following measures will help the nurse attain this goal?

Accepted Answer

The treatments generally used by a patient will correspond to beliefs about illness causation and may reveal the expectation to combine Eastern and Western treatments. Automatically applying all information known about a culture to patients of that group, assuming that all individuals from Southeast Asia practice Buddhism, and referring to textbook information to predict individual behavior do not take into account the individual differences of patients from the same cultural groups.

Question 2

Data collection suggests that a patient's health beliefs are personalistic. Which statement by the patient would the nurse determine as consistent with personalistic health beliefs?

Accepted Answer

Personalistic health beliefs suggest that illness is caused by magical powers and is cured by rituals. Wearing amulets offers protection from illness and may sometimes be considered curative. The other statements are consistent with beliefs in biomedicine.

Question 3

When collecting data, which question provides the best understanding of the patient's culturally determined food patterns and assists with developing a culturally competent care plan?

Accepted Answer

Although each of the questions is appropriate to ask in order to increase understanding of cultural diversity, only one relates to food patterns.

Question 4

A behavior to avoid when interacting with a person of a different culture is

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping, which is making inaccurate generalizations about all members of a specific group without exception, is to be avoided. Stereotypes ignore individual differences. Diversity refers to the many differences in the elements of culture in groups of people in American and Canadian society. Assimilation is the process of a group giving up parts of their own culture and adopting parts of the culture of the dominant group. A nonjudgmental attitude involves being open-minded and taking difference at face value, accepting people as they are, and giving high-quality care.

Question 5

A new mother on the OB unit refuses to allow her newborn to wear disposable diapers. She insists on applying cloth diapers without safety pins, because this is how her culture applies diapers. During break, the nurse discusses the patient's strange diapering technique compared with the excellent American method of diapering. Besides violating confidentiality, the nurse is displaying

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's way of doing things is better than the ways of people of different cultures. Stereotyping is making false assumptions about others based on inaccurate generalizations. Discussing the patient's diapering technique during break is unethical. It is unlikely that there is a policy on diapering.

Question 6

A Native American patient keeps a small bunch of feathers on the over-the-bed table. They are in the way whenever the nurse serves a tray or sets up equipment for a treatment. A culturally competent action would be to

Accepted Answer

Individuals of some cultures believe that amulets and charms are helpful in preventing or curing illness. It is likely that the small bunch of feathers serves this purpose. Leaving them where placed is the culturally sensitive thing to do. The nurse might also respectfully ask about the feathers to gather data about the patient's health beliefs and practices. The other options are not culturally competent behaviors.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of the process of socialization?

Accepted Answer

Socialization is the process by which a person of one culture learns how to function within another culture. The other options are not examples of the socialization process but rather are merely statements that incorporate terms relating to culture.

Question 8

Which statement regarding cultural diversity can be used as a basis for caregiving?

Accepted Answer

The amount of eye contact that is desirable varies among cultures. The nurse should be aware of cultural norms for eye contact for culturally diverse groups. The other options are not true statements.

Question 9

The nurse who states, "I believe in the uniqueness and value of human beings" is basing care on the philosophy of

Accepted Answer

Belief in the uniqueness and value of each human being, regardless of differences that may be observed or perceived in that individual, is called the philosophy of individual worth. The other options do not identify this belief. Cultural competence is the continuous attempt of LPNs/LVNs to gain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to effectively provide care for patients of different cultures. Assimilation is the process of a group giving up parts of their own culture and adopting parts of the culture of the dominant group. Cultural diversity refers to the many differences in the elements of culture in groups of people in American and Canadian society.

Question 10

How would a culturally competent care plan differ from a standard care plan?

Accepted Answer

Culturally competent care involves continuous attempts by staff to use knowledge and skills to effectively provide care for patients of different cultures. Adapting standard care to meet the specific cultural preferences of the patient is part of a culturally competent care plan. The other options would not be contained in a culturally competent plan of care.

Question 11

Which statement by a nurse is an example of nonjudgmental thinking?

Accepted Answer

The correct statement makes no value judgments regarding whether this is good or bad. The other options make judgments.

Question 12

Patient A has terminal cancer, and Patient B has a bladder infection. They are sharing a hospital room. Neither patient is a member of the majority culture of the area. Patient A is quiet and rarely acknowledges pain. Patient B cries and moans loudly much of the day. What understanding will help the nurse provide culturally sensitive care for both patients?

Accepted Answer

One's culture influences both the definition of pain and provides guidelines for approved ways of expressing response to the sensation of pain. The other options are not true statements.

Question 13

A student nurse asks, "Does ethnocentrism have any negative consequences?" The most accurate reply is based on the understanding that

Accepted Answer

When ethnocentrism, the belief that one's culture is superior to other cultures, leads to intolerance of another culture, prejudice results. Discrimination results when rights and privileges are withheld from the other culture. The other options do not accurately explain the relationship.

Question 14

Which statement about culture will help the nurse implement culturally competent care?

Accepted Answer

The worth of everything, within or outside the group, depends on whether it fits the world view of the cultural group. The other options are untrue statements. Culture is the total of all the ideas, beliefs, values, attitudes, communication, customs, traditions, and objects a group of people possess. A stereotype is an assumption used to describe all members of a specific group without exception. It is an expectation that all individuals in a group will act exactly the same in a situation just because they are members of that group. Cultural diversity refers to the many differences in the elements of culture in groups of people in American and Canadian society.

Question 15

Which statement by a health care worker can the nurse identify as a stereotype?

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a false assumption about all members of a specific group. Saying people over 65 are poor drivers is an inaccurate generalization about a specific group of people. The other options do not fit the definition of a stereotype.

Question 16

A patient tells the nurse that she is accustomed to adhering to a strict schedule for meals and sleep. The nurse reports that the patient

Accepted Answer

People who follow clock time eat, sleep, work, and engage in recreational activities at definite times each day. People who live on linear time eat when they are hungry and sleep when tired, without regard to the clock. The assessment that the patient is obsessive-compulsive cannot be made with the provided information. The report that the patient will complain if medications and treatments are not performed on time cannot be concluded from the information provided.

Question 17

Recently a community has experienced an influx of individuals from Afghanistan. What action should the nurse suggest to modify the agency environment to better accommodate these culturally diverse patients?

Accepted Answer

Providing information in the language of the culturally diverse group indicates that the agency is interested in serving individuals in the group. Ensuring understanding may also foster compliance by the individual. The other options would not help to accommodate the individuals from this group.

Question 18

During a discussion on cultural diversity, a nurse asks for an example of an ethnic group. The most accurate response would be

Accepted Answer

Ethnic groups are composed of people who are members of the same race, religion, or nation and speak the same language. Irish-Americans are an example of an ethnic group. Caucasian is a racial grouping. Spanish-speaking refers only to shared language, but the individuals might be from Mexico, Spain, or the West Indies, each of which is ethnically different. Homosexuals do not comprise an ethnic group.

Question 19

Mrs. Lee tells the nurse who asks why she ate so little of the food on her tray that her condition requires "hot" foods, so she ate only the "hot" foods on the tray. The nurse notices that several items the patient left on the tray were served hot, and several of the foods the patient ate were served cold. The nurse should

Accepted Answer

For this patient, "hot" and "cold" do not refer to the temperature at which food is served but rather to culturally determined properties of the food. Asking for a list of foods Mrs. Lee believes would help her condition is the most helpful action for the nurse to take. The other options do not demonstrate understanding the culturally diverse meanings of "hot" and "cold."

Question 20

Which statement by a nurse demonstrates cultural competence?

Accepted Answer

Failure to develop cultural sensitivity to patients of diverse cultural backgrounds may create misunderstandings between nurse and patient. Data may be misinterpreted. Implementation of plans and patient compliance with plans may be sabotaged if the nurse does not understand the culture of the patient. The statement, "Nurses who assume care for persons of different cultures need to assume those beliefs as their own in order to give good care" is unnecessary and impractical. It is not true that women of most cultures have adopted assertive communication. Traditional healing practices and Western medicine may be used in combination with good results.

Quiz 10: Cultural Uniqueness, Sensitivity, and Competence