CHAPTER 4 Cultural Diversity

CHAPTER 4 Cultural Diversity

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

4.1•The charge nurse is making assignments for the nursing assistants in a long-term care facility. A message was left that a 96-year-old male client did not want an African American nurse aide caring for him. Although care is provided to all clients consistently without bias to race or other ethnic and cultural aspects, the charge nurse recognizes that this is a characteristic of

1. unacceptable racial bias.
2. life trajectory differences.
3. complexity of the cultural care triad.

Answer: 3

Rationale: The client’s age would indicate that he was born during a time when racial bias was acceptable. Although the nurse and the direct caregiver may not possess the same racial bias, this circumstance illustrates the complexity of the cultural care triad, where the nurse, client, and caregiver come from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experiences. Life trajectory is the experiences of an individual’s life and can differ among individuals. Ethnicity pertains to a social group within the social system that claims to possess variable traits.

Planning

Psychosocial Integrity

Analysis

4.2•The nurse places a patient in a treatment room of the emergency department for treatment of abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. The patient is a female of the Islamic culture. The husband of the patient speaks for the woman and asks that only a female doctor examines his wife for the pelvic exam. To provide culturally appropriate care for this client, the nurse would explain that

1. the male and female doctors both respect the client’s privacy.
2. the client will be covered with a sheet so it will not matter whether the examiner is male or female.
3. the request is unreasonable and cannot be honored.
4. a female doctor is present so their request can be accommodated.

Answer: 4

Rationale: Many cultures have religious beliefs that prohibit examination by men of reproductive areas of a female. To provide culturally appropriate care, the nurse must recognize this as a legitimate request and make every attempt to honor this request. Although both male and female staff have professional and ethical responsibilities to respect a patient’s privacy, the nurse must still make efforts to meet the request of the client. The response of covering the patient or stating the request is unreasonable shows insensitivity to the client’s cultural need.

Implementation

Psychosocial Integrity

Application

4.3•The nurse is conducting an assessment of a client of the Jewish faith. While questioning the client about nutritional intake, the client states he cannot eat certain types of foods. The client also states that he has fasting requirements that must be followed on religious holidays. Tomorrow is a recognized holiday. To meet the client’s request the nurse would

1. inform the physician of the patient request and consult the dietician to obtain food preferences for meals.
2. document the client preferences on the assessment form.
3. explain to the client that he must eat to maintain nutritional intake.
4. report the client request at the end of the shift to the oncoming nurse.

Answer: 1

Rationale: Although documenting and reporting to co-workers records the patient nutritional preferences, informing the client’s physician and a dietician take the care further to implementation and meeting the client needs. Trying to convince the client to not follow cultural or religious beliefs demonstrates cultural insensitivity on the part of the nurse.

Implementation

Psychosocial Integrity

Application

4.4•The nurse is caring for an infant in the clinic who is present for a routine wellness exam. The child is of an African ethnic origin whose parents immigrated to America 6 months ago. The mother explains that she has been using an herbal paste to treat the infant’s diaper rash. In providing care to the client, the nurse would

1. tell the mother not to use the paste because there is no way to know what the ingredients’ scientific effect may be.
2. ask the mother what the ingredients are in the paste.
3. give the mother an alternate cream.
4. explain how herbal ingredients may be harmful to the infant.

Answer: 2

Rationale: To recognize cultural practices, the nurse must acknowledge that use of old and home remedies are part of caregiving practices. Asking the mother what ingredients are in the paste allows the nurse to best evaluate what the mother is using, and then a determination of the benefit or detriment to the infant can be made in a nonjudgmental manner. Telling the mother not to use the paste, giving an alternative, or making a judgment that any herbal ingredient is harmful does not recognize this cultural practice and shows insensitivity on the part of the nurse.

Implementation

Physiological Integrity