Module 4: Transcultural Module 4.05: Culturally Congruent Health History and Physical Assessment

What is the purpose of the objective data in the health history?

To form a diagnosis about the health status of a person Rationale: The health history enables the nurse to assess health strengths, including cultural beliefs and practices that might influence the nurse's ability to provide culturally competent nursing care. The history includes objective data from the physical examination and the laboratory results to form a diagnosis about the health status of a person.

What is the primary purpose of the health history?

To gather subjective data

It's a good idea to mix and match assessment models, because there are many kinds of cultural factors and each model has a different focus.

True

The most important aspect to remember when performing any assessment is to always assert your authority, so that the patient knows he or she can trust you.

False

Which of these options does not represent a category of cultural factors critical to taking an accurate patient history and physical assessment?

Administrative Rationale: The cultural factor categories critical to taking an accurate patient history and physical assessment are baseline, biology, and details. By learning about baseline beliefs, details of personal worldviews, and basic biology, the nurse can take a more accurate patient history and physical assessment. Administrative factors are not critical to accurate patient history and assessment.

Which of these are signs of better health care outcomes in patients who experienced culturally competent assessments? Select all that apply.

Awareness of specific susceptibility to disease Communication of contraindicated practices Adherence to cooperatively designed care plans Rationale: Adherence to cooperatively designed care plans, awareness of specific susceptibility to disease, and communication of contraindicated practices are all signs of better health care outcomes. When a patient feels uncomfortable, or feels healing is not occurring in the manner expected, that patient may stop asking for help and discontinue care before he or she is truly well. Ensure that patients feel welcome and understood by creating a safe space to discuss the cultural factors most relevant to their care needs.

It is not possible to integrate transcultural nursing assessment models into routine patient history interviews. The nurse must use the whole transcultural nursing (TCN) model to engage in culturally competent practice.

False This statement is false. The health history includes cultural perspectives on biographic and genetic data, medications, reasons for seeking care, present health and history of the present illness, past health, family and social history, and the review of systems. In the physical examination, the nurse compares and contrasts normal and abnormal cultural variations in measurements, general appearance, skin, sweat glands, head (hair, eyes, ears, mouth), mammary plexus, and the musculoskeletal system. The nurse can also assess biocultural variations in pain and illness and cultural considerations in selected laboratory tests for which there is evidence of racial and/or ethnic differences.

Which mode of maintenance supports the use of scientifically safe and sound cultural practices of different cultures?

Health beliefs and practices Rationale: The major categories include cultural affiliation, values orientation, communication, health-related beliefs and practices, nutrition, socioeconomic considerations, organizations providing cultural support, education, religion, cultural aspects of disease incidence, bicultural variations, and developmental considerations across the lifespan.