Chapter 6: Culture and Ethnicity
Fundamental Nursing Skills and Concepts 12th Edition, Timby
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurses neighbor confides that she has been treating a health problem through a faith
healer in her religion but is worried because the condition seems to be worsening. She
asks the nurse what she should do. The nurses best response would be:
a. Faith healing, although frequently effective, makes a disease more difficult or
even impossible to treatment medicine.
b. Many people use medical treatment along with faith healing. Is there anything in
your religion that forbids treatment?
c. Faith healing may take longer than medical treatment to work. Are you doing
exactly as your healer
d. You should see a physician or your faith healer, but not both.
ANS: B
A persons health care choices are influenced by religious beliefs and culture. Many
people use religious or folk medicine in addition to modern medicine.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 183, Table 14-3 OBJ:
Theory #1 TOP: Religious Influence in Health Care KEY: Nursing
Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity:
coping and adaptation
2. The most culturally sensitive and useful question the admitting nurse should ask the
Jewish patient would be:
a. Do you follow any dietary restrictions or will you eat hospital food as it is
prepared here?
b. Are there any medications or treatments your religion does not allow in your
medical treatment?
c. Would you like me to notify your rabbi so that he can make visits to you during
your stay?
d. Tell me about any religious practices you observe that we need to incorporate into
your care.
ANS: D
The response to the general question requesting any special concerns would include
information relative to food, prayer, and rabbinical visitation. The other questions do
have importance, but the general question will allow the nurse to hear what is most
significant to the patient.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 183, Table 14-3 OBJ:
Theory #7 TOP: Religion and Health Care KEY: Nursing Process
Step: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: basic
care and comfort
3. A nurse referring to an elderly Asian man says, He probably uses acupuncture and
believes in yin and yang. This remark is an example of:
a. stereotyping of the patient.
b. ethnocentrism of the patient.
c. cultural sensitivity on the part of the nurse.
, d. a worldview of the nurse.
ANS: A
Stereotyping occurs when common characteristics of a cultural group are applied to
an individual with no attention to the individuals characteristics.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 180 OBJ: Clinical
Practice #5 TOP: Stereotyping KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
4. A Roman Catholic patient going to surgery for an emergency cesarean delivery is afraid
the baby may not survive, and because she is Roman Catholic, she asks you to be sure
that the baby is baptized when it is born. Your response to her should be:
a. There wont be time to baptize the baby in the operating room.
b. I will call your priest to come in, but if he is unable to be there, Ill be sure the
baby is baptized.
c. Baptisms are not usually done in the hospital, and certainly not in the operating
room, but I will tell your concerns.
d. You need to think positively. Both you and the baby are going to be just fine.
ANS: B
Baptism is very important to practicing Roman Catholic patients, and even stillborns
are baptized. Baptism should be performed by the priest, but any believer can baptize
in an emergency.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 176, Box 14-1 OBJ:
Theory #6 TOP: Religious Characteristics KEY: Nursing Process
Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity:
coping and adaptation
5. A 76-year-old Hispanic woman is in the skilled nursing facility where she is to participate
in arehabilitation program following a hip replacement. She is alert, oriented, and
cooperative but speaks only Spanish; her adult children interpret for her when they are
present. The nurse plans the most effective way to communicate with this patient is to:
a. communicate with the patient when the children are present and can translate.
b. arrange to have one of the children present at all times.
c. create a translation guide with commonly used Spanish and English words and
phrases.
d. call on the facility translator for every interaction with the resident.
ANS: C
A simple translation guide can be used with a cooperative patient in this nonacute
setting. The other solutions are unworkable and unrealistic.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 181 OBJ: Clinical Practice #3 TOP:
Communication KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX:
Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
6. A person who believes and practices the Christian Science religion is most likely to:
a. seek the latest technological medical and surgical care available.
b. use medicinal herbs and drugs rather than surgery to treat illness and disease.
c. use prayer and altered thinking to correct the causes of illness and disease.
d. require the dead to be buried within 24 hours of the death.
, ANS: C
A person of the Christian Science belief does not normally seek traditional health care
and uses prayer for healing.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 176, Box 14-1
OBJ: Theory #6 TOP: Religious Characteristics KEY:
Nursing Process Step: N/A MSC: NCLEX: N/A
7. A woman who is part of a traditional Muslim family is hospitalized after an accident. It is
most important for the nurse to include in the care to:
a. provide privacy when the priest comes to administer the sacrament of the sick.
b. respect her need for modesty in keeping her body covered.
c. keep her hair covered at all times.
d. refrain from touching the soles of her feet.
ANS: B
Traditional Muslim women are extremely modest and keep their bodies covered.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 178, Box 14-2
OBJ: Theory #6 TOP: Religious Characteristics KEY:
Nursing Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX:
Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
8. The nurse is aware that when an Orthodox Jewish family has a baby boy, it is expected
that the:
a. baby will be circumcised by the physician as soon as possible after the birth.
b. husband of the woman will provide the physical care she needs.
c. naming of the baby will be done by the mother before she leaves the hospital.
d. baby will be circumcised on the eighth day of life when he is named.
ANS: D
Male Orthodox Jewish children are named and circumcised by the mohel on the
eighth day of life.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 178, Box 14-2
OBJ: Theory #6 T OP: Religious Practices KEY:
Nursing Process Step: Planning MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial
Integrity: psychosocial adaptation
9. A single African-American working mother of three children who is in a state of poverty
often misses appointments for the childrens immunizations or well child check-ups. The
nurse understands that the likely reason for this could be that she:
a. is more concerned with surviving day-to-day problems than with taking a child to
a clinic when there illness.
b. would rather enjoy her time off in leisure activities than taking the children to a
clinic.
c. is from a culture that values nontraditional medical care from curanderos and faith
healers.
d. belongs to a religious group that is opposed to immunizations and medical
treatment.
ANS: A
, People who live in poverty are often focused on day-to-day living. Preventative
medicine is future oriented.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 179 OBJ: Theory #2
TOP: Low-Income Families KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: psychosocial adaptation
10. The nurse is aware that Muslims and Orthodox Jews have similar dietary restrictions in
that both groups require that their followers:
a. remain mainly vegetarians.
b. avoid milk and meat at the same meal.
c. eat only meat that has been slaughtered according to their religious law.
d. avoid shellfish.
ANS: C
Muslim and Jewish followers require food to be prepared according to religious law.
In the Jewish faith, it is called kosher, which also requires the separation of milk and
meat.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 178, Box 14-2
OBJ: Theory #4 TOP: Dietary Restrictions KEY: Nursing
Process Step: Planning MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity:
psychosocial adaptation
11. A resident in a skilled nursing facility indicates that she is an agnostic and is afraid of
what will happen to her when she dies. An appropriate nursing intervention for this
patient is to:
a. request the physician to order an anxiety-reducing medication.
b. ask the patient whether she would like to talk to the facility social worker or
chaplain to address her spirit
c. offer reassurance to the patient that God will understand her confusion.
d. share your religious belief with the patient.
ANS: B
Exploring spiritual (meaning of life and death) issues with a social worker or spiritual
care person is appropriate to address spiritual distress as demonstrated by the patients
anxiety over her impending death.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 179 OBJ: Clinical Practice #4
TOP: Spiritual Distress KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Implementation MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and
adaptation
12. The nurse is sensitive to the fact that Hispanics believe that some foods and fluids have
hot and cold properties that affect their health by:
a. destroying the pathogen causing the disease.
b. restoring equilibrium to the body.
c. strengthening the mind to dispel an evil spirit.
d. ensuring healing.
ANS: B
Hispanics believe that certain foods through their hot or cold properties can restore
the bodys equilibrium.
Fundamental Nursing Skills and Concepts 12th Edition, Timby
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurses neighbor confides that she has been treating a health problem through a faith
healer in her religion but is worried because the condition seems to be worsening. She
asks the nurse what she should do. The nurses best response would be:
a. Faith healing, although frequently effective, makes a disease more difficult or
even impossible to treatment medicine.
b. Many people use medical treatment along with faith healing. Is there anything in
your religion that forbids treatment?
c. Faith healing may take longer than medical treatment to work. Are you doing
exactly as your healer
d. You should see a physician or your faith healer, but not both.
ANS: B
A persons health care choices are influenced by religious beliefs and culture. Many
people use religious or folk medicine in addition to modern medicine.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 183, Table 14-3 OBJ:
Theory #1 TOP: Religious Influence in Health Care KEY: Nursing
Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity:
coping and adaptation
2. The most culturally sensitive and useful question the admitting nurse should ask the
Jewish patient would be:
a. Do you follow any dietary restrictions or will you eat hospital food as it is
prepared here?
b. Are there any medications or treatments your religion does not allow in your
medical treatment?
c. Would you like me to notify your rabbi so that he can make visits to you during
your stay?
d. Tell me about any religious practices you observe that we need to incorporate into
your care.
ANS: D
The response to the general question requesting any special concerns would include
information relative to food, prayer, and rabbinical visitation. The other questions do
have importance, but the general question will allow the nurse to hear what is most
significant to the patient.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 183, Table 14-3 OBJ:
Theory #7 TOP: Religion and Health Care KEY: Nursing Process
Step: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: basic
care and comfort
3. A nurse referring to an elderly Asian man says, He probably uses acupuncture and
believes in yin and yang. This remark is an example of:
a. stereotyping of the patient.
b. ethnocentrism of the patient.
c. cultural sensitivity on the part of the nurse.
, d. a worldview of the nurse.
ANS: A
Stereotyping occurs when common characteristics of a cultural group are applied to
an individual with no attention to the individuals characteristics.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 180 OBJ: Clinical
Practice #5 TOP: Stereotyping KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
4. A Roman Catholic patient going to surgery for an emergency cesarean delivery is afraid
the baby may not survive, and because she is Roman Catholic, she asks you to be sure
that the baby is baptized when it is born. Your response to her should be:
a. There wont be time to baptize the baby in the operating room.
b. I will call your priest to come in, but if he is unable to be there, Ill be sure the
baby is baptized.
c. Baptisms are not usually done in the hospital, and certainly not in the operating
room, but I will tell your concerns.
d. You need to think positively. Both you and the baby are going to be just fine.
ANS: B
Baptism is very important to practicing Roman Catholic patients, and even stillborns
are baptized. Baptism should be performed by the priest, but any believer can baptize
in an emergency.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 176, Box 14-1 OBJ:
Theory #6 TOP: Religious Characteristics KEY: Nursing Process
Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity:
coping and adaptation
5. A 76-year-old Hispanic woman is in the skilled nursing facility where she is to participate
in arehabilitation program following a hip replacement. She is alert, oriented, and
cooperative but speaks only Spanish; her adult children interpret for her when they are
present. The nurse plans the most effective way to communicate with this patient is to:
a. communicate with the patient when the children are present and can translate.
b. arrange to have one of the children present at all times.
c. create a translation guide with commonly used Spanish and English words and
phrases.
d. call on the facility translator for every interaction with the resident.
ANS: C
A simple translation guide can be used with a cooperative patient in this nonacute
setting. The other solutions are unworkable and unrealistic.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 181 OBJ: Clinical Practice #3 TOP:
Communication KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX:
Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
6. A person who believes and practices the Christian Science religion is most likely to:
a. seek the latest technological medical and surgical care available.
b. use medicinal herbs and drugs rather than surgery to treat illness and disease.
c. use prayer and altered thinking to correct the causes of illness and disease.
d. require the dead to be buried within 24 hours of the death.
, ANS: C
A person of the Christian Science belief does not normally seek traditional health care
and uses prayer for healing.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 176, Box 14-1
OBJ: Theory #6 TOP: Religious Characteristics KEY:
Nursing Process Step: N/A MSC: NCLEX: N/A
7. A woman who is part of a traditional Muslim family is hospitalized after an accident. It is
most important for the nurse to include in the care to:
a. provide privacy when the priest comes to administer the sacrament of the sick.
b. respect her need for modesty in keeping her body covered.
c. keep her hair covered at all times.
d. refrain from touching the soles of her feet.
ANS: B
Traditional Muslim women are extremely modest and keep their bodies covered.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 178, Box 14-2
OBJ: Theory #6 TOP: Religious Characteristics KEY:
Nursing Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX:
Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
8. The nurse is aware that when an Orthodox Jewish family has a baby boy, it is expected
that the:
a. baby will be circumcised by the physician as soon as possible after the birth.
b. husband of the woman will provide the physical care she needs.
c. naming of the baby will be done by the mother before she leaves the hospital.
d. baby will be circumcised on the eighth day of life when he is named.
ANS: D
Male Orthodox Jewish children are named and circumcised by the mohel on the
eighth day of life.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 178, Box 14-2
OBJ: Theory #6 T OP: Religious Practices KEY:
Nursing Process Step: Planning MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial
Integrity: psychosocial adaptation
9. A single African-American working mother of three children who is in a state of poverty
often misses appointments for the childrens immunizations or well child check-ups. The
nurse understands that the likely reason for this could be that she:
a. is more concerned with surviving day-to-day problems than with taking a child to
a clinic when there illness.
b. would rather enjoy her time off in leisure activities than taking the children to a
clinic.
c. is from a culture that values nontraditional medical care from curanderos and faith
healers.
d. belongs to a religious group that is opposed to immunizations and medical
treatment.
ANS: A
, People who live in poverty are often focused on day-to-day living. Preventative
medicine is future oriented.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 179 OBJ: Theory #2
TOP: Low-Income Families KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: psychosocial adaptation
10. The nurse is aware that Muslims and Orthodox Jews have similar dietary restrictions in
that both groups require that their followers:
a. remain mainly vegetarians.
b. avoid milk and meat at the same meal.
c. eat only meat that has been slaughtered according to their religious law.
d. avoid shellfish.
ANS: C
Muslim and Jewish followers require food to be prepared according to religious law.
In the Jewish faith, it is called kosher, which also requires the separation of milk and
meat.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: d. 178, Box 14-2
OBJ: Theory #4 TOP: Dietary Restrictions KEY: Nursing
Process Step: Planning MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity:
psychosocial adaptation
11. A resident in a skilled nursing facility indicates that she is an agnostic and is afraid of
what will happen to her when she dies. An appropriate nursing intervention for this
patient is to:
a. request the physician to order an anxiety-reducing medication.
b. ask the patient whether she would like to talk to the facility social worker or
chaplain to address her spirit
c. offer reassurance to the patient that God will understand her confusion.
d. share your religious belief with the patient.
ANS: B
Exploring spiritual (meaning of life and death) issues with a social worker or spiritual
care person is appropriate to address spiritual distress as demonstrated by the patients
anxiety over her impending death.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: d. 179 OBJ: Clinical Practice #4
TOP: Spiritual Distress KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Implementation MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and
adaptation
12. The nurse is sensitive to the fact that Hispanics believe that some foods and fluids have
hot and cold properties that affect their health by:
a. destroying the pathogen causing the disease.
b. restoring equilibrium to the body.
c. strengthening the mind to dispel an evil spirit.
d. ensuring healing.
ANS: B
Hispanics believe that certain foods through their hot or cold properties can restore
the bodys equilibrium.
