Chap 5, 8, 9, 28

The client, visiting from a foreign country, arrived to the facility seeking medical assistance following an accident. The client has limited proficiency in the dominant language. An onsite certified interpreter is unavailable. To assist in interpretation, what is an appropriate nursing intervention?

Use a contracted video interpretation service. Federal law in the United States requires same health care and social services for those individuals who have limited proficiency in the dominant. Many agencies contract with other companies to provide translation services either through video or by telephone. These companies use certified interpreters. Other avenues for interpretation are mobile apps and communication books. Neither of these avenues meet the needs for clients who require interpretation services. Using family members may be a civil rights violation.

Care provided to a client following surgery and until discharge represents which phase of the nurse-client relationship?

Working phase During the working phase, the nurse and client explore and develop solutions that are enacted and evaluated in subsequent interactions. The orientation phase involves making introductions and establishing client goals. The termination phase involves evaluating client progress toward goals and concluding the relationship. There is no evaluation phase in the nurse-client relationship.

A nurse is caring for a client with bacterial pneumonia and a temperature of 104°F (40.0°C). Yesterday, the client's temperature was 102°F (38.9°C). The health care provider on call prescribes cool compresses for the client to help lower the fever. The client insists that the nurse bring warm blankets because they will help the client to recover more quickly. The nurse recognizes that the client's request is an example of:

cultural ritual. Clients and families often express rituals, or practices habitually repeated in certain contexts, during times of stress, such as during an acute hospitalization. Keeping the body covered and warm is a home remedy used by many cultures to help heal the body. As in this example, cultural rituals may conflict with Western medical beliefs. Cultural competence is an approach to health care in which one is aware of one's one cultural beliefs and biases and understands the effects that a client's culture has on the client's health care. Stereotyping involves applying a preconceived and untested generalization to a whole group of people. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's culture is superior to another.

The nurse is caring for a client who is admitted for hypertension (HTN). The nurse notes that the client has not been eating the food provided, and family members have brought in homemade food. What would be the best response by the nurse?

"Can you tell me what foods you prefer to eat and what your family is bringing you?" The nurse should attempt to provide culturally sensitive food; however, the nurse should assess what foods the client wants to eat. The nurse should educate the client on food preferences that are also appropriate to the disease-specific dietary restrictions. Even though the diet may be healthier, the nurse should first assess the client's preferences. The nurse should verify the client's understanding of the diet but should avoid closed-ended questions such as asking if the client understands the specific diet for HTN.

The nurse is teaching a Black client about common health conditions. Which statement by the client most directly addresses a health problem with an increased incidence in this population group?

"It is important to monitor my blood pressure." Monitoring the blood pressure is important for identifying the risk for hypertension and stroke, which are common health conditions among the Black population. The other statements are correct for preventing diabetes, breast cancer, and osteoporosis, but these diseases are not disproportionately common health conditions for the population.

A nurse is planning care for an adult client with severe hearing impairment who uses sign language and lip reading for communication and who has a new diagnosis of cancer. Which nursing action is most appropriate when establishing the plan of care for this client?

Arrange for a sign language interpreter when discussing treatment. During the planning step of the nursing process the nurse develops and prioritizes an individualized plan of care in partnership with the client, family, and others as appropriate. The client with mental or physical limitations should be included in the plan as much as possible. A sign language interpreter allows the client to participate fully in the plan of care. Consulting with the client's children is not as beneficial because it places them in the difficult position of translating while experiencing the emotional strain of the parent's illness. A TTD line can assist in communication but is not as helpful as a medical interpreter. Consulting the oncology nurse specialist is not as helpful in communicating with this client as an interpreter.

When completing a transcultural assessment of communication, which assessment by the nurse is most appropriate?

Assessment of eye contact, personal space, and social taboos Components of the transcultural assessment of communication are the cultural values associated with communication—eye contact, personal space, and social taboos. Religious assessment, racial identification, and income levels are not part of the transcultural assessment of communication.

Which area is typically included in a cultural assessment?

Food preferences Dietary tolerance is associated with both cultural food preferences and biologic variation. A client's marital status and employment status are aspects of demographic information recorded in the client's health record but would not be pertinent, in and of themselves, to a cultural assessment. Ethics would not be typically covered in a cultural assessment, although one's religious affiliation might be.

A nurse is working in a clinic that serves a community with a high population of immigrants. Which nursing assessment is the priority?

Language assessment Although all of the assessments are appropriate, the priority assessment is communication. If clients do not speak the dominant language, it may be necessary to obtain an interpreter to provide culturally appropriate care.

The nurse is providing care to an older adult client who has visual and hearing deficits. What action by the nurse is appropriate to help with communication?

Identify oneself by name and title with each entry into the client's room To facilitate communication with an older client who has visual and hearing deficits, the nurse identifies oneself by name and title each time the nurse enters the client's room. This assists with orientation of the client who can place the interaction into proper perspective. The nurse does not remove one's face mask. The face mask is to minimize risk for COVID for both the nurse and the client. The nurse with permission of the client would decrease the volume of the television set, or even turn the television set off, so as to not compete with the television program. This will facilitate hearing. People with hearing deficits have difficulty distinguishing simultaneous sounds from each other. The nurse will call the client by the client's preferred name. This demonstrates respect for the client. The client's name preference may not be the client's first name.

A nurse is providing care to a client from a culture different from the nurse's own. The nurse is having difficulty relating to the client. What intervention by the nurse is most appropriate?

Ask the client how the client wants to be treated based on the client's values and beliefs. The best way to provide culturally appropriate care is to ask the client what the client values and believes and how the client would like to be treated. Asking another nurse to take over care will not help identify the cultural care needs. Researching the client's culture online and consulting the Minority Health Resource Center may be helpful as a learning experience later, but they do not help immediately in the provision of care. Also, remember that information about any culture is general and must be individualized.

The nurse is providing education to a client who sometimes has difficulty remembering information. Which form of communication will be most helpful for this client?

Written communication While all forms of communication can be used during education, it will be essential to use written communication for this client. This will allow the client to refer back to important points presented.

A nurse during orientation notices that the preceptor gives all subcutaneous injections on a 45-degree angle. When the new nurse asks the preceptor the rationale for the practice the preceptors states, "This is how I do it, and this is how you will do it." The new nurse recognizes this behavior to be:

aggressive. Aggressive behavior involves asserting one's rights in a negative manner that violates the rights of others. Comments such as "do it my way" or "that's just enough out of you" are examples of aggressive verbal statements. In this scenario, the preceptor is neither nurturing the new nurse nor being passive. Assertive behavior is the ability to stand up for oneself and others using open, honest, and direct communication.

A unit-based infection control task force was developed in an attempt to reduce catheter-acquired infections. The group consists of 10 team members. During the past three meetings, one person dominated the meeting and did not allow other members ample time to speak. The best way to address the team dysfunction is to:

have group members confront the dominant member to promote the needed team work. Effective groups have members who are mutually respectful. If a group member dominates or thwarts the group process, then the leader or other group members must confront the member to promote the needed collegial relationship. Planning a secret meeting does not solve the underlying issue. Picking a team leader who is not the dominant member will not address the dominance issue. A written warning would be inappropriate; a verbal communication is what is required among the team.

The nurse is using an interpreter to communicate with a client who speaks a different language. What would be the best way to choose an interpreter for this client?

The interpreter should understand the health care system. Obviously, nurses cannot become fluent in all languages, but certain strategies for fostering effective cross-cultural communication are necessary when providing care for clients who are not fluent in the dominant language. Cultural needs should be considered when choosing an interpreter; however, it is also important to use an interpreter who understands the health care system. In choosing an interpreter, the nurse should not select one who speaks in a loud voice, conducts the conversation quickly, or always makes direct eye contact. Direct eye contact is regarded differently among cultures.

The nurse works in an urban hospital and cares for a diverse population of clients. Which action(s) by the nurse demonstrates the delivery of culturally sensitive care to clients? Select all that apply.

asking the client questions regarding health care beliefs related to the client's culture allowing the client to keep a religious necklace on until going into the operating room integrating the client's cultural practices when assisting with the creation of the plan of care There are many ways in which nurses should deliver culturally sensitive care, but the priority is to understand the difference in culture and ethnicity and integrate these beliefs into the care delivery system. Asking questions related to culture is important since not all cultural groups follow a general belief practice. This should be considered whenever the plan of care is being developed. Allowing a client to wear a religious necklace until going into the operating room and keeping it in a safe place to be returned after a procedure is a demonstration of cultural sensitivity. Implying that a cultural group should adapt to the Anglo-American way is not culturally sensitive. Not all cultural groups respond to direct eye contact and the nurse should be aware of how this may be perceived.

A nurse is preparing to provide discharge instructions to a postpartum client regarding infant care. Before beginning the education session, the nurse should:

eliminate as many distractions as possible. Factors that distort the quality of a message can interfere with communication at any point in the process. These distractors might be from the television, or from pain or discomfort experienced by the client. Visitors may remain in the room as long as the mother agrees and they do not interfere with the education session. It may also be beneficial for others to learn the care in the event that they too will be caregivers for the infant. For this reason, it is best for the client's partner to remain in the room.

A nurse is caring for a client who is newly diagnosed with terminal cancer. The nurse enters the client's room and finds the client sitting in the dark crying. Which statement conveys empathy by the nurse?

"I know this is hard for you. Is there any way I can help?" Empathy is identifying with the way another person feels. An empathic nurse is sensitive to the client's feelings and problems but remains objective enough to help the client work to attain positive outcomes. By retaining this quality, you can establish successful helping relationships without appearing cold or stern. The statement "I am so sorry you are going through this" demonstrates sympathy. Sympathy differs from empathy because it shifts the emphasis from the client to the nurse as the nurse shares feelings and personal concerns and projects them onto the client, limiting the ability to focus objectively on the client's needs. Asking about why the client is crying is part of information gathering but is not empathy. Stating that sitting in the dark will not cure cancer is an abrasive statement that may work against the nurse-client relationship.

A nurse is completing a health history on a client who has a hearing impairment. Which action should the nurse take first to enhance communication?

Assess how the client would like to communicate Clients with hearing impairment pose unique challenges for communication. Assessing how the client communicates best is important. For example, if a deaf client can read and write, writing can facilitate communication. If the client knows sign language, the nurse could use a person trained in sign language. Using hand gestures and exaggerated facial movements does not allow for adequate acquisition of knowledge.

A client is admitted with end-stage pancreatic cancer and is experiencing extreme pain. The client asks the nurse whether an acupuncturist can come to the hospital to help manage the pain. The nurse states, "You won't need acupuncture. We have pain medications." Which characteristic has the nurse displayed?

Cultural imposition The nurse has demonstrated cultural imposition by assuming that traditional pain relief measures are superior and the client should conform to the nurse's belief regarding pain control. This is not an example of cultural conflict because the nurse did not ridicule the request; it was simply dismissed. The nurse is not stereotyping, as no generalization is made about a group of people. The nurse is not demonstrating culture shock because the view of pain medications that the nurse expresses is consistent with the majority, Western culture.

The nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative 3 days from coronary artery bypass graft. The client has a prescription to ambulate. What is the best action by the nurse?

Discuss with the client the need for assistance during ambulation. For members of some cultures, providing care and performing nursing interventions can intrude into personal space. The nurse should discuss with the client the need for assistance during ambulation and prepare the client for potential closeness. The client may ambulate independently, but the nurse should still assist. Having the family or physical therapy ambulate the client does not address the issue related to culture and nursing interventions.

In addressing health promotion for a client who is a member of another culture, the nurse should be guided by which principle?

The client may have a very different understanding of health promotion. As a component of cultural assessment, the nurse should seek to understand the cultural lens through which the client may understand health promotion. Health promotion is not a concept exclusive to Western cultures, though it may be considered differently among non-Western cultures. Even if health promotion is not a priority in a client's culture, the nurse should still address issues related to health promotion in a respectful and relevant manner. Health promotion is not directly linked to socioeconomic development levels.

A dialysis nurse is educating a client on caring for the dialysis access that was inserted into the client's right arm. The nurse assesses the client's fears and concerns related to dialysis, the dialysis access, and care of the access. This information is taught over several sessions during the course of the client's hospitalization. Which phase of the working relationship is best described in this scenario?

The working phase There are three phases of a helping relationship: the orientation phase, the working phase, and the termination phase. The introduction phase is not a valid phase, yet the nurse introduces oneself during the orientation phase. The scenario defines characteristics of the working phase, during which the nurse and client work together to meet the client's physical and psychosocial needs. During the orientation phase, the nurse and client establish the tone and guidelines for the relationship . The termination phase occurs when the nurse and client acknowledge that they have met the goals of the initial agreement or that the client would be better served by another nurse or health care provider.

A new nurse is preparing to assess a new client to the labor and delivery unit and is reviewing basic questions to consider when conducting the cultural assessment. Which question(s) should the nurse prioritize in this assessment? Select all that apply.

What is the communication style of the client? What type of greeting will show the most respect? Are there any rituals the client observes when the newborn arrives? What role do the grandparents have with their grandchildren? Pertinent data for a culture assessment can include: language and communication style; proper forms of greetings and showing respect; rituals surrounding birth, passage from adolescence to adulthood, illness, and death; and family and gender roles including child-rearing practices and kinship with older adults. It would be inappropriate and a potential civil rights violation to ask if the client has an interpreter. The nurse should use a certified interpreter provided through the facility.

A client who immigrated from another country informs the nurse of dietary requests. The nurse responds to the special dietary needs by stating, "You are now living here, and you should try to start eating those foods common to our diet." This inappropriate response is an example of:

cultural imposition. The nurse's response is an example of cultural imposition, which is defined as the belief that everyone should conform to the majority belief system. Cultural blindness is the result of ignoring differences and proceeding as though they do not exist. In this situation, the nurse did not ignore the request but inappropriately responded to it. Cultural diversity is defined as a diverse group in society, with varying racial classifications and national origins, religious affiliations, languages, physical sizes, genders, sexual orientations, ages, disabilities, socioeconomic statuses, occupational statuses, and geographic locations. Cultural assimilation occurs when members of a minority group live within a dominant group and lose the cultural characteristics that make them different