Chapter 21: Cultural and Spiritual
Awareness
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse is caring for a diabetic patient who frequently uses alternative medicine
to manage ailments. The patient feels nauseous and requests ginger tea. What
should the nurse be aware of before giving the patient ginger tea?
a. Nothing; natural remedies do not cause unwanted side effects.
b. Ginger can cause blood glucose levels to decrease.
c. Ginger causes blood glucose levels to rise. .
d. Ginger can cause a diabetic patient to become more nauseous.
ANS: B.
Nurses should be aware of natural remedies and their interactions because more
patients turn to these remedies as opposed to medication for management of ailments.
In this scenario, the nurse should be aware of the fact that ginger can cause blood
glucose levels to decrease, possibly causing harm to the diabetic patient.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 490 OBJ: List practice issues related to cultural competence.
TOP: Cultural/spiritual assessment MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
2. A nurse manager is looking for ways to improve the cultural competency of unit
staff. Which action would help the manager accomplish this?
a. Propose voluntary cultural competence training.
b. Hire bicultural clinical and administrative staff. .
c. Hire staff from the same ethnic background.
, d. Avoid issues pertaining to cultural competence.
ANS: B.
The nurse manager can improve the staff’s cultural competence by hiring bicultural
clinical and administrative staff to improve education, care delivery, and outcomes.
The nurse manager should also propose mandatory cultural competence training and
hire staff from different ethnic backgrounds. .
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 489 OBJ: List practice issues related to cultural competence.
TOP: Culturally diverse workforce MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
3. A nurse is educating a patient’s family on holistic nursing. Which statement by a
family member leads the nurse to determine that more education is needed?
a. “Holistic nursing is an attitude.”
b. “Holistic nursing is a way of being.”
c. “Holistic nursing focuses on healing the person as a whole.”
d. “Holistic nursing focuses on healing the system causing the ailment.”
ANS: D
Holistic nursing is an attitude, a way of being, and is focused on healing the person as
a whole. It is not focused on the system causing the ailment.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluation/Evaluating REF: p. 492
OBJ: Assess spiritual needs of patients in the health care setting.
TOP: Holistic nursing MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
4. A nurse is gathering data on a patient of a different culture. Which action can the
nurse take to enhance communication while gathering cultural data?
, a. Ignore the patient’s culture and focus on the reason for hospital
admission.
b. Use hand gestures to get points across to a patient with poor English.
c. Use closed-ended questions to gather information. .
d. Determine the patient’s level of fluency in English.
ANS: D.
The nurse should determine the patient’s level of fluency in English to enhance
communication. If needed, the nurse should obtain an interpreter. The nurse should
not avoid the patient’s culture during the assessment. Hand gestures should not be
used because they could be offensive to the patient. The nurse should use open-ended
questions or questions phrased in different ways as a method to gather data.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application/Applying REF: Box 21.2
OBJ: List practice issues related to cultural competence.
TOP: Culture and spirituality MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
5. The nurse understands that the following organization believes that cultural
competence in nursing is necessary.
a. Nurse Practice Acts of state boards of nursing .
b. Code of Ethics of the American Nurses Association
c. Accreditation standards of the National League of Nursing
d. Accreditation standards of The Joint Commission (TJC)
ANS: B
The American Nurses Association indicates in its Code of Ethics the necessity of the
nurse to be sensitive to individual needs. State boards of nursing are involved in the
regulation and licensure of nursing practices. The National League of Nursing is
involved with accreditation of nursing programs. TJC is involved with hospital
accreditation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering REF: p. 486
Awareness
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse is caring for a diabetic patient who frequently uses alternative medicine
to manage ailments. The patient feels nauseous and requests ginger tea. What
should the nurse be aware of before giving the patient ginger tea?
a. Nothing; natural remedies do not cause unwanted side effects.
b. Ginger can cause blood glucose levels to decrease.
c. Ginger causes blood glucose levels to rise. .
d. Ginger can cause a diabetic patient to become more nauseous.
ANS: B.
Nurses should be aware of natural remedies and their interactions because more
patients turn to these remedies as opposed to medication for management of ailments.
In this scenario, the nurse should be aware of the fact that ginger can cause blood
glucose levels to decrease, possibly causing harm to the diabetic patient.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 490 OBJ: List practice issues related to cultural competence.
TOP: Cultural/spiritual assessment MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
2. A nurse manager is looking for ways to improve the cultural competency of unit
staff. Which action would help the manager accomplish this?
a. Propose voluntary cultural competence training.
b. Hire bicultural clinical and administrative staff. .
c. Hire staff from the same ethnic background.
, d. Avoid issues pertaining to cultural competence.
ANS: B.
The nurse manager can improve the staff’s cultural competence by hiring bicultural
clinical and administrative staff to improve education, care delivery, and outcomes.
The nurse manager should also propose mandatory cultural competence training and
hire staff from different ethnic backgrounds. .
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 489 OBJ: List practice issues related to cultural competence.
TOP: Culturally diverse workforce MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
3. A nurse is educating a patient’s family on holistic nursing. Which statement by a
family member leads the nurse to determine that more education is needed?
a. “Holistic nursing is an attitude.”
b. “Holistic nursing is a way of being.”
c. “Holistic nursing focuses on healing the person as a whole.”
d. “Holistic nursing focuses on healing the system causing the ailment.”
ANS: D
Holistic nursing is an attitude, a way of being, and is focused on healing the person as
a whole. It is not focused on the system causing the ailment.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluation/Evaluating REF: p. 492
OBJ: Assess spiritual needs of patients in the health care setting.
TOP: Holistic nursing MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
4. A nurse is gathering data on a patient of a different culture. Which action can the
nurse take to enhance communication while gathering cultural data?
, a. Ignore the patient’s culture and focus on the reason for hospital
admission.
b. Use hand gestures to get points across to a patient with poor English.
c. Use closed-ended questions to gather information. .
d. Determine the patient’s level of fluency in English.
ANS: D.
The nurse should determine the patient’s level of fluency in English to enhance
communication. If needed, the nurse should obtain an interpreter. The nurse should
not avoid the patient’s culture during the assessment. Hand gestures should not be
used because they could be offensive to the patient. The nurse should use open-ended
questions or questions phrased in different ways as a method to gather data.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application/Applying REF: Box 21.2
OBJ: List practice issues related to cultural competence.
TOP: Culture and spirituality MSC: NCLEX®: Psychosocial integrity
5. The nurse understands that the following organization believes that cultural
competence in nursing is necessary.
a. Nurse Practice Acts of state boards of nursing .
b. Code of Ethics of the American Nurses Association
c. Accreditation standards of the National League of Nursing
d. Accreditation standards of The Joint Commission (TJC)
ANS: B
The American Nurses Association indicates in its Code of Ethics the necessity of the
nurse to be sensitive to individual needs. State boards of nursing are involved in the
regulation and licensure of nursing practices. The National League of Nursing is
involved with accreditation of nursing programs. TJC is involved with hospital
accreditation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering REF: p. 486
