Question 1

A Hispanic patient is visited by several family members and the nurse witnessed one visitor who pinches a piece of skin at the waist. The nurse asks the purpose and learns the "provider" is listening for a snap from the abdominal region, which is then repeated several times. The patient most likely suffers from:

Accepted Answer

Empacho is believed to be caused by lodged food particles, causing acute stomach/intestinal pain.

Question 2

A nurse is submitting a grant application to improve access to health care and mortality for minority groups. The grant focuses on the six causes of death that are identified as priorities for minorities, which include:

Accepted Answer

Cancer is identified as a leading cause of excessive death among minority group members. The six leading causes are cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke, chemical dependency, diabetes, homicides/accidents, and infant mortality.

Question 3

While completing a nursing degree in Virginia, a student who is interested in teaching in Laredo, Texas, enrolls in Spanish classes for 4 years, knowing that a high number of Mexican-Americans live there. This nursing student values:

Accepted Answer

Cultural competence is the responsibility of all nurses to become knowledgeable about the values, beliefs, and health care practices of the culturally diverse groups that are dominant in the nurse's particular practice area.

Question 4

A Southeast Asian woman brings her baby into the clinic because the baby is lethargic. The nurse determines that the baby has had diarrhea and vomiting for several days, resulting in dehydration. Physical examination reveals small, round burns on the abdomen. These burns probably are the result of cigarettes or burning cotton used to:

Accepted Answer

In the Southeast Asian culture, touching a burning cigarette or piece of cotton to the skin, usually the abdomen, is done to compensate for "heat" lost through diarrhea. This type of burning is a common part of self-care.

Question 5

Which statement is true regarding health care for minorities?

Accepted Answer

Most families with racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds have a lower socioeconomic status than is observed in the population at large. Dramatic changes in technology and specialization in the health care field have caused health care costs to skyrocket. Therefore, not everyone can afford health care services.

Question 6

When planning health care, the nurse should be mindful that members of the Asian culture tend to:

Accepted Answer

In Asian culture, individuals tend to be present oriented and time is viewed as being more flexible than in the Western culture; being on time for appointments is not seen as a priority.

Question 7

A nurse performing a history and physical on a newly admitted Hispanic patient learns the patient has just used the services of a savador to:

Accepted Answer

Hispanic patients may want the support and care of a savador, which is similar to that offered by a chiropractor.

Question 8

A nurse is preparing to teach a class related to risk factors for cancer to a diverse ethnic group attending a health fair. The nurse should be aware:

Accepted Answer

Black men have a higher risk for esophageal cancer than the general population so teaching risk factors is needed.

Question 9

A nurse caring for a Hispanic child admitted with diarrhea notices the child is wearing red yarn around the wrist. The nurse compliments the child's "jewelry," knowing it is believed to prevent:

Accepted Answer

Mal ojo is due to "admiration" from a stranger resulting in diarrhea.

Question 10

An Asian teenager is admitted with an eating disorder which she contributes to by not meeting the academic expectations of her parents. The nurse is overheard saying, "That isn't the reason; all Asians are really smart." This nurse is demonstrating:

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is associating certain behavior or competencies with an ethnic group without considering the individual.

Question 11

The nurse is preparing a plan of care for an black patient who has had a change of bowel habits from being constipated and having only two firm stools weekly to having three or more loose stools daily. Which comment is related to cultural variation for health information?

Accepted Answer

In the African-American culture, women, especially "Granny," play a key role in health care decisions.

Question 12

A nurse is admitting a Mexican-American child, and the mother comments that the child was exposed to mal ojo. The nurse should expect to find which symptom associated with this exposure?

Accepted Answer

The child has what is referred to as mal ojo or "evil eye," which can lead to diarrhea, fever, and even death.

Question 13

A cultural phenomenon that is based on biologic variation would include:

Accepted Answer

Biologic variations include denser bones in blacks. Biologic variations such as body build and structure, genetic variations, skin characteristics, susceptibility to disease, and nutritional variations exist among different cultures. Other common variations include skin color, eye shape, hair texture, and adipose tissue deposits.

Question 14

A nurse is given a referral to make a home visit to a Russian immigrant. The nurse knows very little about the health beliefs of this ethnic group. To research this group, she can use an Internet search engine and enter the term "Russian cultures" or "Russian health beliefs." To obtain more generalized information, she could also search under:

Accepted Answer

Marginalized populations include recently arrived immigrants. Their lives and health care needs are often kept secret and are understood only by them.

Question 15

A priority action for the nurse who works with culturally diverse clients is completion of a:

Accepted Answer

The first step to becoming a culturally sensitive and competent health care provider is to conduct a cultural self-assessment. Through identification of health-related attitudes, values, beliefs, and practices, the nurse can better understand the cultural aspects of health care from the client's perspective.

Question 16

A nurse is seeking to become culturally competent in regard to obtaining information during health history and when performing physical diagnosis. The nurse is aware that which biologic variation is found in all of the following ethnicities: blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and American Indians?

Accepted Answer

Lactose intolerance is found in all four of the noted ethnicities.

Question 17

A nurse is caring for a recent Asian immigrant client and is overheard making the following comment, "These rituals you believe in are false. You live in America now and must believe in realistic health practices, like Americans do." The nurse is exhibiting:

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own ethnic group, culture, or nation is best.

Question 18

A nurse is preparing discharge teaching for an Asian-American woman with a fractured hip. The nurse reviews the client's diet history while hospitalized and is concerned that the patient refused milk and yogurt, placing her at risk for osteoporosis. What cultural variation is the nurse overlooking? Asian Americans:

Accepted Answer

Pork bones and shells are rich in calcium, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Question 19

A Mexican-American patient is attacked and beaten. This patient is at risk for "fright disease," which is known as:

Accepted Answer

Susto is an emotion-based illness common among Mexicans. An unexpected fall, a barking dog, or a car accident could cause susto. Symptoms include colic, diarrhea, high temperature, and vomiting.

Question 20

A nurse plans to move to an area that is rich in immigrants from several countries and is concerned about respecting others' cultural beliefs. The nurse's first step to ensure cultural competence and sensitivity is to:

Accepted Answer

A cultural self-assessment allows the nurse to identify attitudes about individuals from different cultures.

Quiz 10: Cultural Competency and Social Issues in Nursing and Health Care