Author Question: A staff nurse expresses frustration that a Native American patient always has several family members ... (Read 41 times)

luminitza · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

A staff nurse expresses frustration that a Native American patient always has several family members at the bedside. Which action by the charge nurse is most appropriate?

a. Remind the nurse that family support is important to this family and patient.
b. Have the nurse explain to the family that too many visitors will tire the patient.
c. Suggest that the nurse ask family members to leave the room during patient care.
d. Ask about the nurse's personal beliefs about family support during hospitalization.

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a newly admitted patient. Which intervention is the best example of a culturally appropriate nursing intervention?

a. Insist family members provide most of the patient's personal care.
b. Maintain a personal space of at least 2 feet when assessing the patient.
c. Ask permission before touching a patient during the physical assessment.
d. Consider the patient's ethnicity as the most important factor in planning care.

jomama · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
The first step in providing culturally competent care is to understand one's own beliefs and values related to health and health care. Asking the nurse about personal beliefs will help achieve this step. Reminding the nurse that this cultural practice is important to the family and patient will not decrease the nurse's frustration. The remaining responses (suggest that the nurse ask family members to leave the room, and have the nurse explain to family that too many visitors will tire the patient) are not culturally appropriate for this patient.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
Many cultures consider it disrespectful to touch a patient without asking permission, so asking a patient for permission is always culturally appropriate. The other actions may be appropriate for some patients but are not appropriate across all cultural groups or for all individual patients. Ethnicity may not be the most important factor in planning care, especially if the patient has urgent physiologic problems.