1. The nurse is preparing to teach a patient of the Asian culture to perform postoperative
dressing changes at home after discharge. Which statement made
... [Show More] by the nurse indicates cultural
competence?
a. Tell me how you feel about your surgery.
b. Asian people are smart, so this should be easy for you to understand.
c. American surgeons are highly qualified; Im sure you will heal quickly.
d. Will you tell me about any traditional healing practices that you would like to use?
2. An unconscious victim of a house fire is brought to the emergency department by the
paramedics. Tied to the right wrist is an emblem that appears be a religious talisman. Which
action should the nurse take?
a. Tape it in place.
b. Do nothing with it.
c. Remove it and lock it up for safekeeping.
d. Place it in a clothing bag with the rest of the patients belongings.
3. A 43-year-old patient of Arab descent is admitted to the hospital. To comply with the
state laws of the organization, the nurse offers the patient a Papanicolaou smear, which she
refuses. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Notify the physician.
b. Report the refusal to the supervisor.
c. Explain the rationale for and benefits of the test.
d. Tell her it is state law and that she does not have a choice.
4. A patient who is a Jehovahs Witness has severe gastrointestinal bleeding and a
dangerously low hemoglobin level. The patient is fully alert and competent and refuses to accept
the blood transfusion ordered by the physician. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?
a. Obtain a court order to give the blood.
b. Administer the blood while the patient is sleeping.
c. Have the patients spouse sign the consent to have the blood administered.
d. Ensure the patient understands possible consequences and then respect the patients wishes.
5. A patient of Mexican descent sees a curandero for asthma; the curandero has prescribed
a special tea to be taken four times a day to open the airways. How should the nurse respond to
this situation?
a. Encourage the patient to continue drinking the tea.
b. Encourage the patient to drink only one cup of the tea each day.
c. Ask the patient to bring in the tea package and have the pharmacist check the ingredients.
d. Advise the patient to stop drinking the tea because of potential interactions with other
medications.
6. The nurse is caring for a young adult male patient who refuses personal care from a
female nursing assistant. Which approach by the nurse is best?
a. Encourage the patients family to talk with him about his care.
b. Have a registered nurse (RN) help with his personal care.
c. Assign a male assistant to help with his personal care if one is available.
d. Explain to him that males and females take care of both genders in this hospital.
7. The nurse is providing medication instructions to a 45-year-old patient who does not
maintain eye contact. What should this patients behavior indicate to the nurse?
a. The patient is not interested.
b. The nurse threatens the patients ego.
c. The nurse is in a hierarchical position.
d. The patient does not intend to follow the instructions.
8. The nurse is caring for a patient of Spanish descent who is experiencing pain, but does
not speak English. An interpreter is located to help with the assessment. What should the nurse
do to facilitate communication with this patient?
a. Use hand signals to determine the cause of the pain.
b. Ensure the interpreter is not left alone with the patient.
c. Maintain eye contact with the patient and the interpreter.
d. Use only physical examination data; do not rely on verbal communication.
9. A new mother of Guatemalan descent brings her 10-day-old infant to a clinic for a well-
baby checkup. To promote healing, she has a coin taped to the infants umbilicus. What should
the nurse do about this situation?
a. Teach the mother how to clean the coin daily and reapply it.
b. Explain to the mother that the coin is not necessary for healing.
c. Tell the mother to remove the coin, because it could cause an infection.
d. Teach the mother how to apply a dry sterile dressing in place of the coin.
10. An older patient who follows the Muslim religion is approaching death. The family
says the patients bed should be turned toward the opposite wall, so it can face Mecca to ensure
an easier passage into the next life. The wall they want the bed to face has wall suction and
oxygen, which the patient is using. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
a. Get permission from the physician to move the bed.
b. Rearrange the furniture to accommodate the request.
c. Tell them you will move the bed when the patient is closer to death.
d. Tell them it is impossible because of the short tubing on the oxygen and suction.
11. A patient of northern European descent recovering from surgery denies postoperative
pain; however, vital signs indicate an elevated pulse and blood pressure. The patient refuses to
move in bed. Which nursing action would best ensure comfort and timely discharge?
a. Give the pain medicine as prescribed.
b. Ask the physician to prescribe the analgesics around the clock.
c. Explain that the pain medicine will help prevent complications.
d. Respect the patients denial of pain, and do not encourage the pain medicine.
12. A nurse who emigrated from China begins working on a medical unit. The preceptor
explains the unit routines, including the medication administration system. When the preceptor
asks if the nurse understands, the answer is always: Yes, I understand. What should the preceptor
do to measure the nurses comprehension?
a. Give the nurse a medication quiz.
b. Have the nurse repeat the instructions.
c. Have the nurse demonstrate the procedures.
d. Ask the nurse which information is hard to understand.
13. A 52-year-old from Haiti is hospitalized with heart failure and wants to have a voodoo
practitioner visit to say prayers. How should the nurse respond to this request?
a. Report the request to the physician immediately.
b. Tell the patient that this is not permitted during hospitalization.
c. Tell the patient it is okay for the voodoo practitioner to say prayers.
d. Have the patient meet with the voodoo practitioner in the hospital lobby.
14. The nurse is caring for a patient from a non-English speaking culture. While providing
care, the nurse shows an appreciation for and attention to arts, music, crafts, clothing, and foods
belonging to the patients culture. What did the nurse demonstrate while caring for this patient?
a. Cultural beliefs
b. Cultural awareness
c. Cultural sensitivity
d. Cultural competence
15. A female Caucasian nurse, overhead discussing a patient from another culture, asks
why the patient wants to see a practitioner from his own culture, since everyone sees physicians
when they are ill. What characteristic is the nurse exhibiting?
a. Stereotyping
b. Ethnocentrism
c. Cultural sensitivity
d. Cultural generalization
16. During an assessment, the nurse determines that a patient from a non-English speaking
culture practices activities that are past-oriented. What behavior did the nurse assess in this
patient?
a. Investing time and money
b. Enjoying each day as it comes
c. Worshipping ancestors and maintaining traditions
d. Learning from the past to avoid making the same mistakes in the future
17. The nurse notes that a patient of Arab descent is not eating anything on the meal trays.
What should the nurse do about this situation?
a. Wait for the patient to ask for specific foods.
b. Ask if the patient has special food preferences.
c. Consult with a physician of Arab descent on staff.
d. Contact the dietitian to find out what patients of Arab descent patients like to eat.
18. The mother of a 6-year-old Vietnamese child admitted with pneumonia is rubbing a
coin on the childs back. The coin leaves red marks. What should the nurse do about this
observation?
a. Report the possibility of child abuse.
b. Do not allow the mother to be alone with her child.
c. Explain to the mother that she cannot do this in the hospital.
d. Add a statement to the care plan that the family practices coining.
19. The family of an older Arab-American patient does not want the patient to be informed
of a diagnosis of cancer. What should the nurse do?
a. Call a religious counselor.
b. Respect the familys wishes.
c. Insist that the family tell the patient about the diagnosis.
d. Tell the patient anyway, because patients have a right to know.
20. A patient with diabetes mellitus who comes to the clinic for a routine examination
agrees to have a diagnostic test, but is concerned that her transportation will not wait for the test
to be performed. What should the nurse do?
a. Contact the department to have the test done now.
b. Ask the patient to schedule an appointment for the test.
c. Refer the patient to the community health nurse practitioner.
d. Schedule the test for the next time the patient comes to the clinic.
21. The nurse is assessing a patient who believes in a balance of yin and yang in the body,
has a brother with stomach cancer, and frequently uses acupuncture for headache treatment. The
nurse should validate that the patient is a member of which cultural group?
a. Hispanic/Latino
b. Asian American
c. African American
d. American Indian/Native Alaskan
22. An older patient is observed wearing a copper bracelet to relieve the pain of arthritis.
What type of practice should the nurse realize this patient is demonstrating? [Show Less]