Perry - Chapter 2

Question 1

A married couple lives in a single-family house with their newborn son and the husband’s daughter from a previous marriage. On the basis of the information given, what family form best describes this family?

a. Married-blended family c. Nuclear family
b. Extended family d. Same-sex family

Answer 1

ANS: A
Married-blended families are formed as the result of divorce and remarriage. Unrelated family members join together to create a new household. Members of an extended family are kin, or family members related by blood, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles. A nuclear family is a traditional family with male and female partners and the children resulting from that union. A same-sex family is a family with homosexual partners who cohabit with or without children.

Question 2

In what form do families tend to be most socially vulnerable?

a. Married-blended family c. Nuclear family
b. Extended family d. Single-parent family

Answer 2

ANS: D
The single-parent family tends to be vulnerable economically and socially, creating an unstable and deprived environment for the growth potential of children. The married-blended family, the extended family, and the nuclear family are not the most socially vulnerable.

Question 3

Health care functions carried out by families to meet their members’ needs include:

a. Developing family budgets.
b. Socializing children.
c. Meeting nutritional requirements.
d. Teaching family members about birth control.

Answer 3

ANS: C
Meeting nutritional requirements is a fundamental health promotion behavior. Although creating a family budget may be helpful, it does not indicate that funds will be allotted to meet health needs if money is scarce. Often families cannot afford preventive care and rely on emergency departments for their health care needs. Socialization of children may be important, but it is not directly related to the health care of individuals in a family unit. Birth control may be important, but it is not a basic survival health care function.

Question 4

The nurse should be aware that the criteria used to make decisions and solve problems within families are based primarily on family:

a. Rituals and customs. c. Boundaries and channels.
b. Values and beliefs. d. Socialization processes.

Answer 4

ANS: B
Values and beliefs are the most prevalent factors in the decision-making and problem-solving techniques of families. Although culture may play a part in the decision-making process of a family, ultimately values and beliefs dictate the course of action taken by family members. Boundaries and channels affect the relationship between the family members and the health care team, not the decisions within the family. Socialization processes may help families with interactions with the community, but they are not the criteria used for decision making within the family.

Question 5

Using the family stress theory as an intervention approach for working with families experiencing parenting, the nurse can help the family change internal context factors. These include:

a. Biologic and genetic makeup.
b. Maturation of family members.
c. The family’s perception of the event.
d. The prevailing cultural beliefs of society.

Answer 5

ANS: C
The family stress theory is concerned with the family’s reaction to stressful events; internal context factors include elements that a family can control such as psychologic defenses. It is not concerned with biologic and genetic makeup, maturation of family members, or the prevailing cultural beliefs of society.

Question 6

While working in the prenatal clinic, you care for a very diverse group of patients. When planning interventions for these families, you realize that acceptance of the interventions will be most influenced by:

a. Educational achievement. c. Subcultural group.
b. Income level. d. Individual beliefs.

Answer 6

ANS: D
The patient’s beliefs are ultimately the key to acceptance of health care interventions. However, these beliefs may be influenced by factors such as educational level, income level, and ethnic background. Educational achievement, income level, and subcultural group all are important factors. However, the nurse must understand that a woman’s concerns from her own point of view will have the most influence on her compliance.

Question 7

The nurse’s care of a Hispanic family includes teaching about infant care. When developing a plan of care, the nurse bases interventions on the knowledge that in traditional Hispanic families:

a. Breastfeeding is encouraged immediately after birth.
b. Male infants typically are circumcised.
c. The maternal grandmother participates in the care of the mother and her infant.
d. Special herbs mixed in water are used to stimulate the passage of meconium.

Answer 7

ANS: C
In Hispanic families, the expectant mother is influenced strongly by her mother or mother-in-law. Breastfeeding often is delayed until the third postpartum day. Hispanic male infants usually are not circumcised. Olive or castor oil may be given to stimulate the passage of meconium.

Question 8

The woman’s family members are present when the home care maternal-child nurse arrives for a postpartum and newborn visit. What should the nurse do?

a. Observe the family members’ interactions with the newborn and one another.
b. Ask the woman to meet with her and the baby alone.
c. Do a brief assessment on all family members present.
d. Reschedule the visit for another time so that the mother and infant can be assessed privately.

Answer 8

ANS: A
The nurse should introduce herself to the patient and the other family members present. Family members in the home may be providing care and assistance to the mother and infant. However, this care may not be based on sound health practices. Nurses should take the opportunity to dispel myths while family members are present. The responsibility of the home care maternal-child nurse is to provide care to the new postpartum mother and her infant, not to all family members. The nurse can politely ask about the other people in the home and their relationships with the woman. Unless an indication is given that the woman would prefer privacy, the visit may continue.

Question 9

The nurse should be aware that during the childbearing experience an African-American woman is most likely to:

a. Seek prenatal care early in her pregnancy.
b. Avoid self-treatment of pregnancy-related discomfort.
c. Request liver in the postpartum period to prevent anemia.
d. Arrive at the hospital in advanced labor.

Answer 9

ANS: D
African-American women often arrive at the hospital in far-advanced labor. These women may view pregnancy as a state of wellness, which is often the reason for delay in seeking prenatal care. African-American women practice many self-treatment options for various discomforts of pregnancy, and they may request liver in the postpartum period, but this is based on a belief that the liver has a high blood content.

Question 10

To provide competent care to an Asian-American family, the nurse should include which of the following questions during the assessment interview?

a. “Do you prefer hot or cold beverages?”
b. “Do you want milk to drink?”
c. “Do you want music playing while you are in labor?”
d. “Do you have a name selected for the baby?”

Answer 10

ANS: A
Asian-Americans often prefer warm beverages. Milk usually is excluded from the diet of this population. Asian-American women typically labor in a quiet atmosphere. Delaying naming the child is common for Asian-American families.

Question 11

The patient’s family is important to the maternity nurse because:

a. They pay the bills.
b. The nurse will know which family member to avoid.
c. The nurse will know which mothers will really care for their children.
d. The family culture and structure will influence nursing care decisions.

Answer 11

ANS: D

Family structure and culture influence the health decisions of mothers.

Question 12

A mother’s household consists of her husband, his mother, and another child. She is living in a(n):

a. Extended family. c. Married-blended family.
b. Single-parent family. d. Nuclear family.

Answer 12

ANS: A
An extended family includes blood relatives living with the nuclear family. Both parents and a grandparent are living in this extended family. Single-parent families comprise an unmarried biologic or adoptive parent who may or may not be living with other adults. Married-blended refers to families reconstructed after divorce. A nuclear family is where male and female partners and their children live as an independent unit.

Question 13

A traditional family structure in which male and female partners and their children live as an independent unit is known as a(n):

a. Extended family. c. Nuclear family.
b. Binuclear family. d. Blended family.

Answer 13

ANS: C
About two thirds of U.S. households meet the definition of a nuclear family. Extended families include additional blood relatives other than the parents. A binuclear family involves two households. A blended family is reconstructed after divorce and involves the merger of two families.

Question 14

Which statement about family systems theory is inaccurate?

a. A family system is part of a larger suprasystem.
b. A family as a whole is equal to the sum of the individual members.
c. A change in one family member affects all family members.
d. The family is able to create a balance between change and stability.

Answer 14

ANS: B
A family as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The other statements are characteristics of a system that states that a family is greater than the sum of its parts.

Question 15

A pictorial tool that can assist the nurse in assessing aspects of family life related to health care is the:

a. Genogram. c. Life cycle model.
b. Family values construct. d. Human development wheel.

Answer 15

ANS: A

A genogram depicts the relationships of family members over generations.

Question 16

The process by which people retain some of their own culture while adopting the practices of the dominant society is known as:

a. Acculturation. c. Ethnocentrism.
b. Assimilation. d. Cultural relativism.

Answer 16

ANS: A
Acculturation is the process by which people retain some of their own culture while adopting the practices of the dominant society. This process takes place over the course of generations. Assimilation is a loss of cultural identity. Acculturation describes the process by which people retain some of their own culture while adopting the practices of the dominant society. Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture over the cultures of others. Acculturation describes the process by which people retain some of their own culture while adopting the practices of the dominant society. Cultural relativism recognizes the roles of different cultures. Acculturation describes the process by which people retain some of their own culture while adopting the practices of the dominant society.

Question 17

When attempting to communicate with a patient who speaks a different language, the nurse should:

a. Respond promptly and positively to project authority.
b. Never use a family member as an interpreter.
c. Talk to the interpreter to avoid confusing the patient.
d. Provide as much privacy as possible.

Answer 17

ANS: D
Providing privacy creates an atmosphere of respect and puts the patient at ease. The nurse should not rush to judgment and should make sure that he or she understands the patient’s message clearly. In crisis situations, the nurse may need to use a family member or neighbor as a translator. The nurse should talk directly to the patient to create an atmosphere of respect.

Question 18

In which culture is the father more likely to be expected to participate in the labor and delivery?

a. Asian-American c. European-American
b. African-American d. Hispanic

Answer 18

ANS: C

European-Americans expect the father to take a more active role in the labor and delivery than the other cultures.

Question 19

Which statement about cultural competence is not accurate?

a. Local health care workers and community advocates can help extend health care to underserved populations.
b. Nursing care is delivered in the context of the client’s culture but not in the context of the nurse’s culture.
c. Nurses must develop an awareness of and sensitivity to various cultures.
d. A culture’s economic, religious, and political structures influence practices that affect childbearing.

Answer 19

ANS: B
The cultural context of the nurse also affects nursing care. The work of local health care workers and community advocates is part of cultural competence; the nurse’s cultural context is also important. Developing sensitivity to various cultures is part of cultural competence, but the nurse’s cultural context is also important. The impact of economic, religious, and political structures is part of cultural competence; the nurse’s cultural context is also important.

Question 20

The nurse is preparing for a home visit to complete a newborn wellness checkup. The neighborhood has a reputation for being dangerous. Identify which precautions the nurse should take to ensure her safety (Select all that apply).

a. Having access to a cell phone at all times.
b. Visiting alone due to the agency’s staffing model.
c. Carrying an extra set of car keys.
d. Avoiding groups of strangers hanging out in doorways.
e. Wearing her usual amount of jewelry.

Answer 20

ANS: A, C, D
Nurse safety is an important component of home care. The nurse should be fully aware of the home environment and the neighborhood in which the home care is being provided. In this situation, nurses should visit in pairs, have access to a cell phone at all times, and wear a limited amount of jewelry. The car should be parked in a well-lit area and locked at all times. An extra set of keys kept in the nursing home care bag avoids time and frustration if the nurse should become locked out of her automobile. Car keys spread between the fingers can also be used of the weapon if necessary. Groups of strangers, dark alleys, and unrestrained dogs should be avoided at all times.