7 - Cultural Diversity in the Community Flashcards
Research has shown that Asian men tend to have a greater sensitivity than white Europeans to codeine, and they experience significantly weaker effects from the drug. Which of the following types of cultural variations is being demonstrated?
a. ) Biological variations
b. ) Personal space
c. ) Social organization
d. ) Perception of time
a.) Biological variations
Biological variations are the physical, biological, and physiological differences that exist between racial groups and distinguish one group from another. Personal space is the physical distance between two individuals during an interaction. Social organization refers to the way in which a cultural group structures itself around the family to carry out role functions. Perception of time is the duration or period between successive events, where some cultures assign greater or lesser emphasis to events that occur in the past, present, or future.
Which of the following statements about race is true?
a. ) In the United States, children of biracial parents are usually assigned the race of the father.
b. ) Ethnicity and race are synonymous terms.
c. ) Individuals may be of the same race but of different cultures.
d. ) No social significance is usually placed on race.
c.) Individuals may be of the same race but of different cultures.
It is often a misconception that persons of the same race have the same culture. For example, African Americans may have been born in Africa, the Caribbean, North America, or elsewhere and have very different cultures. In the United States, children of biracial parents are usually assigned the race of the mother. Ethnicity is a contrasting term to race. Race is a characteristic that allows for some groups to be separated, treated as superior, and given access to power and other valued resources, while others are treated as inferior and have limited access to power and resources.
A nurse states that the client has exhibited an explicit cultural behavior. Which of the following has the nurse most likely observed?
a. ) Verbal communication
b. ) Body language
c. ) Use of titles
d. ) Perception of health and illness
a.) Verbal communication
Explicit behaviors are straightforward and do not leave room for misinterpretation of what the person wants to communicate, such as when using verbal communication. Implicit behaviors are less exact and may be difficult to interpret, including body language, use of titles, and perception of health and illness.
The nurse labels a patient an alcoholic because of his ethnicity. Which of the following best describes this action by the nurse?
a. ) Stereotyping
b. ) Prejudice
c. ) Racism
d. ) Ethnocentrism
a.) Stereotyping
Stereotyping is ascribing certain beliefs and behaviors about a given racial and ethnic group to an individual without assessing for individual differences. Prejudice is the emotional manifestation of deeply held beliefs about a group. Racism is a form of prejudice that occurs through the exercise of power by individuals and institutions against people who are judged to be inferior in, for example, intelligence, morals, beauty, and self-worth. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own cultural group determines the standards by which another group’s behavior is judged.
A nurse supports the use of traditional home remedies in conjunction with Western medicine to promote healthy behaviors. Which of the following is being demonstrated by the nurse?
a. ) Cultural accommodation
b. ) Cultural awareness
c. ) Cultural preservation
d. ) Cultural repatterning
c.) Cultural preservation
Cultural preservation refers to assistive, supportive, facilitative, or enabling nurse actions and decisions that help the clients of a particular culture to retain and preserve traditional values, so they can maintain, promote, and restore health. Cultural accommodation refers to assistive, supportive, facilitative, or enabling nurse actions and decisions that help clients of a particular culture accept nursing strategies or negotiate with nurses to achieve satisfying health care outcomes. Cultural awareness refers to the self-examination and in-depth exploration of one’s own biases, stereotypes, and prejudices as they influence behavior toward other cultural groups. Cultural repatterning refers to assistive, supportive, facilitative, or enabling nurse actions and decisions that help clients of a particular culture to change or modify a cultural practice for new or different health care patterns that are meaningful, satisfying, and beneficial.
The Refugee Act of 1980 had what effect on refugees who were immigrating into the United States?
a. ) Allowed specific provisions for refugees from Southern and Eastern Europe
b. ) Provided a uniform procedure for refugees to be admitted into the United States
c. ) Permitted refugees to set up communities in or around major metropolitan areas
d. ) Allowed refugees access to “green cards” that would allow them to work in the United States
b.) Provided a uniform procedure for refugees to be admitted into the United States
The Refugee Act of 1980 provided a uniform procedure for refugees to be admitted into the United States. Refugees were immediately eligible to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid. This procedure was in effect for all refugees not just those from specific countries. It did not provide “green card” access or permit development of specific communities for refugees.
A nurse has experienced a cultural encounter. Which of the following best describes what has happened?
a. ) Sharing significant assessment findings with members of a racial minority
b. ) Visiting the native land of the clients served at a community health center
c. ) Telephoning the priest at a Hispanic church to discuss the health issues of a client
d. ) Learning about traditional healing practices from an American Indian client
d.) Learning about traditional healing practices from an American Indian client
Cultural encounter refers to the process that permits nurses to seek opportunities to directly engage in cross-cultural interactions with clients of diverse cultures to modify existing beliefs about a specific cultural group and possibly avoid stereotyping. Learning about traditional healing practices is an example of a direct cultural encounter. This occurs when a nurse engages in cross-cultural interactions. Sharing significant assessment findings demonstrates the nurse sharing information, not an engagement with the population. When visiting a native land, there may not be interaction with any other culture. Telephoning a priest at a Hispanic church does not demonstrate an interaction, but rather the nurse calling the priest to accomplish a nursing task.
A nurse is striving to be culturally competent. Which of the following actions would most likely be taken by the nurse?
a. ) Respect individuals from different cultures and value diversity
b. ) Immerse themselves in different cultures
c. ) Design care for special ethnic groups
d. ) Give explicit instructions to avoid client decision making
a.) Respect individuals from different cultures and value diversity
Nurses who strive to be culturally competent respect individuals from different cultures and value diversity. Immersing oneself in a different culture, designing care for special ethnic groups, and giving explicit instructions so the client does not have to make a decision does not demonstrate cultural competence.
Hispanics tend to believe that the needs of the family take priority over those of the individual. Which of the following types of cultural variations is being demonstrated?
a. ) Communication
b. ) Personal space
c. ) Social organization
d. ) Environmental control
c.) Social organization
Social organization refers to the way in which a cultural group structures itself around the family to carry out role functions. Communication is the means by which culture is shared (verbal and nonverbal). Personal space is the physical distance between two individuals during an interaction. Environmental control refers to the person’s relationship with nature and to plan and direct factors in the environment that affect them.
A visitor from Japan comes to the United States for a 2-week vacation. Which of the following best describes this person?
a. ) Nonimmigrant
b. ) Refugee
c. ) Legal immigrant
d. ) Lawful permanent resident
a.) Nonimmigrant
A nonimmigrant is admitted for a limited duration for a specific purpose. Refugees are people who seek protection in the United States because of fear of persecution in their homeland. Legal immigrants are people who are not citizens but are legally allowed to live and work in United States, usually because they fulfill labor demands or have family ties. Lawful permanent resident is another name for legal immigrants.
A nurse believes that the best treatment for illness is the use of Western medicine and alternative therapies should not be used for healing. Which of the following best describes what has happened?
a. ) Ethnocentrism
b. ) Cultural imposition
c. ) Racism
d. ) Stereotyping
a.) Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own cultural group determines the standards by which another group’s behavior is judged. Cultural imposition is the act of imposing one’s cultural beliefs, values, and practices on individuals from another culture. Racism is a form of prejudice that occurs through the exercise of power by individuals and institutions against people who are judged to be inferior on the basis of intelligence, morals, beauty, inheritance, and self-worth. Stereotyping is ascribing certain beliefs and behaviors about a given racial and ethnic group to an individual without assessing for individual differences.
A nurse is unable to provide culturally competent care to a population within the community. Which of the following is an effect of this type of care?
a. ) Enhanced communication
b. ) Increased cost of health care
c. ) Achievement of health indicators
d. ) Improvement in client compliance
b.) Increased cost of health care
Care that is not culturally competent may increase health care costs and decrease positive client outcomes. Communication is inhibited through care that is not culturally competent. It is not possible to achieve health indicators if culturally competent care is not given. Client compliance decreases if culturally competent care is not provided.
A client shares with the nurse that her grandparents immigrated to the United States from Germany. Which of the following best describes what she has disclosed?
a. ) Multiculturalism
b. ) Ethnicity
c. ) Race
d. ) Culture
b.) Ethnicity
Ethnicity represents the identifying characteristics of culture, such as race, religion, or natural origin. Multiculturalism is the blending of diverse cultures. Race is primarily a social classification that relies on physical markers. Culture is a set of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that are widely held among a group of people and transmitted intergenerationally.
A nurse implements nursing interventions considering the uniqueness of the person’s culture. Which of the following best describes this action?
a. ) Cultural diversity
b. ) Cultural knowledge
c. ) Cultural competence
d. ) Cultural awareness
c.) Cultural competence
Providing care based on the uniqueness of the client’s cultural norms and values is one of the three guiding principles of culturally competent nursing care. Cultural diversity refers to the degrees of variation represented among populations based on lifestyle, ethnicity, race, interest, across place, and place of origin across time. Cultural knowledge refers to the process of searching for and obtaining a sound educational understanding about culturally diverse groups. Cultural awareness refers to the self-examination and in-depth exploration of one’s own biases, stereotypes, and prejudices as they influence behavior toward other cultural groups.
A nurse will be using an interpreter during a client encounter. Which of the following considerations should be made by the nurse? (Select all that apply.)
a. ) It is appropriate to use family members as interpreters.
b. ) Written materials should be available in the client’s primary language.
c. ) Observe the interpreter’s gestures to assure client understanding.
d. ) The gender, age, and educational level of the interpreter should be evaluated.
e. ) The nurse should face the interpreter when speaking.
b.) Written materials should be available in the client’s primary language.
d.) The gender, age, and educational level of the interpreter should be evaluated.
Family members should be used with caution. The client’s gestures and nonverbal messages should be observed to assure understanding. Written materials should be available in the client’s primary language. The gender, age, educational level, socioeconomic status, religion, and dialect should all be considered when selecting the proper interpreter. The nurse should face the client during the dialogue, not the interpreter.
