Test Bank Chapter 2 Contemporary Issues in Women Families and Children's Health Care Complete Guide A+

Chapter 2: Contemporary Issues in Womens, Families, and Childrens Health Care Nursing School MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The clinic nurse is working with a mother and her 3-year-old child who have arrived for the childs routine checkup. The nurse encourages the mother to return for her childs measles-mumps-rubella immunization prior to the childs entering school. This intervention is an example of what type of care? A. Mandatory health care B. Primary health prevention C. Secondary health prevention D. Tertiary health prevention ANS: B Of the three levels of prevention, the most desirable level is primary prevention. This encompasses health promotion and activities specifically meant to prevent disease from occurringin this case, scheduling vaccinations. Secondary prevention refers to early identification and prompt treatment of a health problem before it has an opportunity to spread or become more serious. Tertiary prevention is intended to restore health to the highest functioning state that is possible. 2. A nurse wishing to be an advocate for access to health care would most likely choose to participate in which of the following activities? A. Lobby for improved insurance access for all individuals, whether or not they are employed. B. Help establish fast-track or minor illness areas in local emergency rooms. C. Partner with medical centers to provide free services for low-income patients. D. Work with visiting nurses associations to create on-site clinics at day-care centers. ANS: A The biggest determinant of access to and quality of health care is ones insurance status. The other actions might help improve access too, but would not be as effective as lobbying for improved ability for all individuals to get insurance. 3. A nurse working with an after-school program is concerned about the lack of health literacy in the students parents. What action would best address this need? A. Conduct a monthly health-related seminar for parents. B. Investigate grants or other funding for a computer bank. C. Invite parents to healthy cooking demonstrations. D. Provide brochures on a variety of health problems. ANS: B The disparity between people who have access to technology and those who do not is directly related to health literacy and knowledge. The amount of information doubles every 6 years, so it is not possible to keep track of all the latest health news by accessing brochures, books, or periodicals. Having access to computers would greatly increase health literacy. The other options are certainly helpful, but would not be as far-reaching as providing access to online material. 4. A nurse is caring for a patient near the end of life whose wishes regarding care are not known. The two sons disagreed with the two daughters about future medical plans for the patient during a recent family conference, and now the sons and daughters are not talking to one another. What action by the nurse would be best to help resolve this dilemma? A. Call the facilitys ethics committee and request a formal consultation. B. Have social work coordinate another family meeting to discuss the issue. C. Meet with the sons and daughters separately to discuss their wishes. D. Request that the physician tell the family what is in the patients best interests. ANS: A Ethical principles in health care are often in conflict, and it takes a skilled person to negotiate and mediate these situations. Ethics committees exist in most health-care facilities that are experienced in confronting these difficult situations. The best response would be for the nurse to request a consultation from the ethics committee. Another family meeting may not work, as the family already disagrees and tensions are high. The other options may be helpful, but are not as vital as a formal ethics committee consultation. Meeting privately with the sons and daughters might give the nurse some insight into their positions, but would not be as effective as utilizing the expertise on the committee. The physician should not decide what is in the patients best interests, as this is paternalistic and violates the principle of autonomy. 5. A mother and her 12-year-old daughter visit the clinic often because of the daughters asthma. The clinic nurse recognizes that one of the most important nursing actions in this situation is which of the following? A. Continue to schedule regular clinic visits for the child to follow her condition. B. Give the mother time to talk about her daughters illness while she is present. C. Listen patiently to the child as she talks about her illness, letting her tell her story. D. Regulate and modify the childs medications in response to her asthma symptoms. ANS: C Research shows that children feel that health-care providers dont really listen to them. It is important to advocate for the child and to develop a therapeutic relationship characterized by a caring attitude. The nurse should encourage the child to discuss her asthma and modify interventions accordingly. 6. The nurse managing a pediatric clinic often sees single mothers with children. What action by the nurse would best help this population of women access health care? A. Arrange to have evening and weekend hours. B. Offer sample medications instead of prescriptions. C. Provide a play center for waiting children. D. Provide bus tokens for transportation to the clinic. ANS: A Single mothers with children constitute 82% of the poverty population. Welfare to work programs are now compulsory, and women must work in order to receive aid. Offering evening and weekend hours could accommodate more women who cannot afford to miss time off from work. The other options might be helpful for some patients and families, but to have the greatest impact on the largest group of people, accommodating work schedules is important for this population of women. 7. A community health nurse explains to the nursing student that the best health-related programming includes which of the following elements? A. Has both individual and societal components B. Is directed toward individual responsibility C. Provides incentives to compensate healthy choices D. Requires legislation to truly be effective ANS: A Intervention programs must be multi-tiered and oriented to the broader social context in which they occur, because that is where patients are located. Programs directed toward only individuals are less successful. Programs and interventions do not need to include legislation or incentives. 8. A nursing student wishes to investigate national health goals. Where should the student research this information? A. Cochrane Database B. Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature C. Government websites D. Healthy People initiative ANS: D The Healthy People initiative is the blueprint for the nations health goals. Updated every 10 years, it lists national health priorities. Information related to the Healthy People initiative can be found on the other sites, but they are secondary sources. The student would do best to investigate the primary source. 9. A nurse is interested in primary prevention programs. Which of the following activities would this nurse choose to do? A. Assist with blood pressure screening at the local mall. B. Collect and distribute used eyeglasses for poor people. C. Staff a mobile mammogram unit for underserved groups. D. Teach teenagers about the dangers of texting and driving. ANS: D Primary prevention includes activities designed to keep health problems from happening. It often includes education. Teaching teens the dangers of texting and driving will (hopefully) prevent motor vehicle crashes. Secondary prevention is screening, early detection, and prompt treatment for health problems. Providing blood pressure screening and mammograms are examples of secondary prevention. Tertiary prevention attempts to restore health to its highest level of functioning. Providing eyeglasses for needy people with vision problems is an example of tertiary prevention. 10. A nurse wants to work in the community providing secondary prevention activities. Which action would this nurse choose to do? A. Educate teenage girls about birth control options. B. Provide STD/STI testing at the local youth center. C. Staff the county health department flu shot clinic. D. Volunteer to drive cancer patients to receive their treatments. ANS: B Secondary prevention is screening, early detection, and prompt treatment for health problems. Testing youths for STD/STIs is an example of secondary prevention. Primary prevention includes activities designed to keep health problems from happening. It often includes education. Educating teenage girls about birth control options will (hopefully) prevent unintentional pregnancies and is an example of primary prevention. Likewise, staffing the flu shot clinic is also an example of primary prevention. Tertiary prevention attempts to restore health to its highest level of functioning. Driving cancer patients to their treatments is an example of tertiary prevention. 11. A nurse is interested in providing tertiary prevention activities. Which of the following activities would this nurse choose to do? A. Assist with low-cost swimming lessons at the YMCA. B. Conduct monthly educational seminars at a church. C. Join the county pandemic outbreak response team. D. Provide glucose and cholesterol screening at the mall. ANS: C Tertiary prevention attempts to restore health to its highest level of functioning. Working with a county response team in the event of a pandemic outbreak would be an example of tertiary prevention. Primary prevention includes activities designed to keep health problems from happening. It often includes education. Assisting with swimming lessons and conducting monthly seminars will educate the target audiences in order to prevent a health problem. Secondary prevention is screening, early detection, and prompt treatment for health problems. Providing glucose and cholesterol screening is an example of secondary prevention. 12. A practicing nurse tells a student nurse that beyond the World Health Organizations definition of health, providers must also consider which of the following factors when determining the health of a community? A. The definition of health as described by the community B. The incidence of preventable health problems in the group C. The morbidity caused by genetically related health problems D. The mortality rates that could be lowered with primary prevention ANS: A The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. According to Purnell and Paulanka (2008), one must also consider the definition of health as it is described by people within their own ethnocultural group. The other options are not part of this consideration. 13. A nurse wants to know the trend concerning death due to cardiovascular disease. What source should the nurse consult? A. Epidemiology data B. Morbidity data C. Mortality data D. Primary prevention data ANS: C Mortality refers to death. Government agencies keep both mortality and morbidity records on public health threats. Morbidity refers to illness. Epidemiology is the statistical analysis of factors related to disease in populations over time. Primary prevention includes activities designed to keep health problems from happening. It often includes education. 14. A nurse enjoys working with patients who have chronic illnesses. What group of people would this nurse enjoy working with most? A. Ethnic minorities B. Men and boys C. Older adults D. Women and girls ANS: C The older adult population is growing steadily and rapidly and will have a huge impact on health care in the future, due to the prevalence of chronic illness in this group. Chronic illness occurs in all groups, but for the older adult population, it is a special concern. 15. A nurse would like to improve the health of the community. Which action by the nurse would have the greatest impact? A. Blood glucose screening at the local Korean church B. Blood pressure screening at a predominantly black church C. Teaching immigrants heart-healthy cooking for traditional foods D. Teaching men the signs and symptoms of heart attacks ANS: B Although all activities are good nursing interventions for specific communities, more than half of black women aged 4564 years have hypertension, so a blood pressure screening at a predominantly black church could have the greatest impact. 16. A nurse is working with a parent teacher association to combat school bullying. What action can the nurse suggest that would best help to decrease this form of interpersonal violence? A. Advise that victims parents call law enforcement and press charges. B. Begin offering martial arts classes in the school for bullied children. C. Encourage the school to adopt no-tolerance policies for bullying. D. Suggest limiting television viewing, especially for younger children. ANS: D Some research has shown that violent media exposure is linked to violent behavior. Included in media are computer games, which can also be violent. Younger children may not be able to distinguish between real and fantasy and may be overly influenced by violent images. No-tolerance policies can be helpful, as can a social environment in which children and their parents are held accountable legally. Offering martial arts classes may send the wrong message and would most likely not diminish the incidence of bullying. 17. A school nurse is increasingly concerned with a growing absentee problem. To best address this issue, which of the following actions should the nurse take? A. Begin a structured follow-up program for asthmatic children. B. Hold informational meetings on the importance of childhood vaccines. C. Partner with providers on continuity plans for kids with chronic illness. D. Work with law enforcement to develop a truancy response team. ANS: A All plans sound like they could be innovative strategies for dealing with school absenteeism. But because asthma is the most common reason for a child to miss school (and the primary reason for visits to pediatric emergency rooms), the nurses best response is to develop a structured follow-up program for kids with asthma. 18. A nurse is working with a patient who misses appointments frequently and doesn’t always fill prescriptions for herself or her children. On reviewing the patients chart, the nurse sees that the patient has insurance. What action by the nurse would be the most helpful? A. Ask the patient to describe her health insurance coverage. B. Educate the patient about the consequences of skipping medicines. C. Find out if the patient is seeing other health-care providers. D. Remind the patient that she is responsible for her children’s health. ANS: A An important factor in access to health care is insurance. Employer-provided plans are becoming more uncommon, and even those with insurance often have gaps in their coverage, which leads to missed appointments, unfilled prescriptions, and other services being underutilized. The other actions might be useful, although it probably will sound judgmental if the nurse merely tells the patient that she is responsible for her children’s health. 19. A nurse reads in the paper that the death rate for women overall has declined substantially. To what does the nurse correlate this finding? A. Abundant new choices in contraception B. Better detection and treatment of breast cancer C. Greater access to sources of fresh produce D. Improved diagnosis of heart disease in women ANS: D The leading cause of death in women overall is heart disease. Women face significant barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment of heart disease than do men. The nurse can conclude that this has improved, leading to the significant decrease in the female death rate. Contraception choices would not lead to a significant decrease in mortality, as childbirth is not a common fatal event, although the number of perinatal deaths has not declined in recent years. And even with multiple choices in contraception, at least half of all pregnancies are unintended or mistimed. Access to fresh produce could improve many health conditions for women. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. 20. A nurse working with the elderly population is distressed that in order to obtain public funding for long-term care, the elderly must expend nearly all of their resources. When considering bioethical principles, which principle should the nurse choose to act from to make the biggest difference in this situation? A. Autonomy B. Fidelity C. Justice D. Veracity ANS: C The principle of justice means treating everyone fairly. Requiring the elderly to divest themselves of their resources in order to obtain funding for housing could be seen as a justice issue. Autonomy is having free will and acting according to ones own wishes when making decisions. Fidelity is keeping promises. Veracity is truth telling. 21. A nurse considers beneficence as the guiding ethical principle for nursing practice. Working within that framework, which action by the nurse best demonstrates that concept? A. Administering a pain medication before therapy so that the patient can participate B. Allowing the patient to make informed choices as to his or her plan of care C. Promising a pain medication in 1 hour and returning with it on time D. Turning patients to prevent pressure sores, despite causing temporary discomfort ANS: A Beneficence means acting for the patients benefit, or doing good. Giving a pain medication before a therapy session helps the patient fully participate, improving his or her recovery. Allowing the patient to make informed choices demonstrates autonomy. Returning when promised is an example of fidelity. Turning patients, even though it causes temporary discomfort, is non-maleficence. 22. A nurse ensures that a patient does not have questions regarding the upcoming surgical procedure and verifies that the signature on the consent form is the patients signature. Which ethical principle is this nurse demonstrating? A. Autonomy B. Beneficence C. Fidelity D. Justice ANS: A Autonomy is the right to make decisions and to have the information necessary to make such decisions. Beneficence is doing good. Fidelity is keeping promises. Justice is treating everyone fairly. 23. A 45-year-old woman presents to the emergency department complaining of chest pain and feeling anxious. She asks to have an electrocardiogram (EKG) but is told that heart disease is a mans disease and is given a prescription for lorazepam (Ativan). What can the nurse conclude? A. If the woman were older, she may have received an EKG. B. Sex hormones play a powerful role in determining heart disease. C. Stereotyping seriously impacted the care the woman received. D. Women under the age of 45 are at low risk of having heart disease. ANS: C A stereotype is a mental image that portrays members of a specific group with the same attributes. Believing that heart disease is a mans disease is an example of a stereotype. Because the practitioner held this view, the womans health care was compromised. The other statements cannot be justified from this example. 24. A nurse has heard of the digital divide between people who have access to technology and those who dont. The nurse asks a mentor how this can affect health care. What response by the mentor is most accurate? A. Its just easier and faster to make appointments online. B. Much health-care information is available only digitally. C. The so-called digital divide really doesnt have much impact. D. You can chat with your doctor on social media sites. ANS: B The explosion in information makes digital access to health-care resources vital. There are even applications for smart phones that have a health-care function. Not all clinics and physician offices have online appointment scheduling. Most people surveyed would like to connect with their physicians via email but not on social networking sites. 25. One goal of the Healthy People 2020 initiative is to increase the number of people who have some form of health insurance. What percentage of the population is the target? A. 25% B. 35% C. 55% D. 100% ANS: D Healthy People 2020 has the ambitious goal of increasing the proportion of people with health insurance to 100%. 26. A nurse is working with a woman who is 4 months pregnant. The woman has had a series of temporary housing, has no job, and is wearing clothing that is obviously way too big for her. What action can the nurse take to most improve the health of this woman and child? A. Arrange transportation for her to get to a community food bank. B. Consult a social worker to help her apply for the WIC program. C. Encourage the woman to make her return appointment before leaving. D. Ask the woman to fill out an application for the federal Medicare program. ANS: B WIC, or the Women, Infants, and Children Program, targets pregnant women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are nutritionally at risk. WIC provides supplemental nutritious foods and nutrition counseling. Forty-five percent of infants born in this country participate in the WIC program. Helping with transportation needs and facilitating return appointments is helpful too, but not to the degree that improving this womans nutrition will be. The woman might be eligible for Medicaid, but not Medicare, which is for the elderly. MULTIPLE RESPONSE 1. A nurse working in a women’s health clinic has several patients who are from a minority culture, live in the inner city, lack employment that offers benefits, have large families, and often lack transportation to health care. Which of these factors are considered broad determinants of health? (Select all that apply.) A. Access to health care B. Employment C. Environment D. Family size E. Race ANS: A, B, C, E Broad determinants of health care are personal, community, and societal systems and include environment, employment, insurance, class, race, social support, access to health services, genetic endowment, and personal histories. Family size itself is not a broad determinant of health care; however, it could be included in the larger category of personal history. 2. The community health nurse knows that the public health intervention model is focused on which of the following intervention levels? (Select all that apply.) A. Community B. Family C. Government D. Hospitals E. Patient ANS: A, B, E The public health intervention model is an inclusive framework that encompasses three levels at which interventions can be initiated, from the micro-level of the individual to the macro-level environment. Interventions are targeted toward individuals/families, communities, and larger institutional and societal systems. Government and hospitals are not one of the three levels. 3. A nurse working in the community uses the public health intervention model to combat diabetes mellitus type 2. Using this model, which interventions are appropriate? (Select all that apply.) A. Community: Encourage high-risk patients to have glucose screening. B. Community: Lobby for funds to build walking and biking trails. C. Community: Subsidize community gardens in areas where produce is expensive. D. Individual/family: Educate about the benefits of daily exercise. E. Societal: Pressure Congress for laws requiring insurance incentives for health promotion. ANS: B, C, D, E The public health intervention model, also known as the Intervention Wheel, is a framework that contains three levels for health-care interventions, from the micro-level of the individual to the macro-level of the environment. Interventions are aimed at individuals/families, communities, and larger institutional and social systems. Lobbying to build walking/biking trails and assisting with community gardens are examples of community-level interventions. Encouraging high-risk individuals to have glucose screening is at the individual/family level, as is education about the benefits of daily exercise. An example of an institutional or societal intervention would be lobbying Congress to pass laws requiring insurance companies to provide incentives for health promotion activities. 4. The community health nurse is aware that the goals of Healthy People 2020 include which of the following? (Select all that apply.) A. Creating physical environments that promote health B. Developing healthy behaviors in children and teens C. Eliminating health disparities and increasing equity D. Improving the health of all groups in the country E. Increasing the average life span for all adults ANS: A, C, D Goals of the Healthy People 2020 document include the following: (1) To attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death; (2) to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups; (3) to create social and physical environments that promote good health for all; and (4) to promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages. The blueprint does not call for developing healthy behaviors only in children and teens, nor does it call for simply increasing the average life span. 5. What does the nursing student understand about health disparities in the United States? (Select all that apply.) A. African American babies die by age 1 at a rate times that of European Americans. B. Asian American babies have the highest rate of preterm birth of any other group. C. Despite large expenditures, health resources are unevenly distributed. D. European Americans have double the number of low-birth-weight babies than other groups. E. Sudden infant death syndrome is most prevalent in American Indian and Alaska native babies. ANS: A, C, E Many health disparities exist in America, despite huge outlays of money. A major problem is that health resources are not distributed evenly across demographic and geographic groups. This leads to such problems as the high rate at which African American babies die before age 1, and the high incidence of sudden infant death syndrome in American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Asian American babies do not have the highest rate of preterm birth, and European American women do not have double the number of low-birth-weight babies of other groups. 6. The public health nurse explains to students that diversity is an increasing phenomenon in this country. What facts about this phenomenon does the nurse share with the students? (Select all that apply.) A. As immigrants acculturate, their unique cultural care needs will diminish. B. By 2050, the minority population in America is estimated to be 50%. C. Hispanics, blacks, and Asians are the historically designated minority groups. D. One in five people in this country will be over the age of 65 by the year 2030. E. Racial differences are rooted in biological factors that explain illness trends. ANS: B, D The population of ethnic minorities is expected to reach 50% by the year 2050, which increases the need for culturally competent health care. One in five people will be over the age of 65 by 2030, increasing the impact of chronic illnesses. Hispanics, blacks, Asians, and Native Americans are the historically designated minority groups. There is no biologic basis for race; racial and ethnic categories are socially created. 7. Which of the following activities should the perinatal nurse encourage women who come for preconceptional counseling to consider? (Select all that apply.) A. Choosing breastfeeding or bottle feeding B. Decreasing risk for exposure to toxoplasmosis C. Decreasing fetal risks related to the work environment D. Ensuring folic acid supplementation E. Ensuring iron supplementation ANS: B, C, D Folic acid supplementation helps to prevent certain birth defects. A fetuss exposure to harm could potentially be prevented if a woman were counseled prior to pregnancy about the adverse effects of alcohol, tobacco, toxoplasmosis, and other teratogens in her home or workplace. During the preconception period, it is too early for the woman to take iron supplements (unless she is anemic), and debating infant feeding methods is not the priority at this time. 8. A mother brings her 6-month-old infant and 18-month-old child to the health clinic for a routine visit. The nurse counsels the mother about lead exposure testing. Which information should the nurse include? (Select all that apply.) A. About one-fourth of all homes where kids under 6 live are contaminated by lead. B. Both of your children should have testing for lead at this time. C. Lead exposure may cause anemia, seizures, and mental retardation if not treated. D. Lead testing for children is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. E. We can test your older child for lead exposure, but it is too early for the 6-month-old. ANS: A, C, D, E The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children between the ages of 1 and 2 years receive testing for lead exposure, as 25% of homes presently occupied by children under the age of 6 have known lead contamination. Lead exposure has been linked to a number of medical and developmental problems, including anemia, seizures, and mental retardation. 9. The clinic nurse is interviewing a woman and her daughter who describe their address astemporary. The mother appears thin, pale, and tired. Her blood work confirms anemia and pregnancy. What actions by the nurse would be most helpful? (Select all that apply.) A. Call the Department of Children and Family Services. B. Discuss nutrition needs for pregnancy. C. Facilitate the womans opportunity to return for prenatal care. D. Determine if the family is in a safe location. E. Provide shelter information for this family. ANS: C, D, E A priority for this family is to provide information regarding shelters, to facilitate follow-up clinic visits for the mother to address her pregnancy and anemia, and to determine if the family is currently in a safe place or if the family is vulnerable to violence. Nutrition in pregnancy should be discussed, but it is not the priority intervention at this point. There is no reason to call the Department of Children and Family Services unless abuse is suspected. 10. The clinic nurse explains to a student that an appropriate nursing action is screening all children for child abuse. What other information does the nurse give the student about child abuse? (Select all that apply.) A. It is frequently carried out by a stranger. B. The most common form is neglect. C. It is most often perpetrated by a parent. D. Only 1 out of 1,000 girls is sexually abused. E. It is part of an ongoing cycle of violence. ANS: B, C, E The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System reports that three children die of child abuse in the home each day. Children are most commonly abused by someone they know, and in 79% of cases, the perpetrator is a parent. Child abuse can set up a perpetuating cycle of suffering and more violence later in life, potentially reaching to future generations. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse. One out of every four girls will be sexually abused by the time she reaches 18. 11. The jail nurse is interviewing a woman who has been brought to the clinic for prenatal care. Which of the following are appropriate actions for the nurse to perform? (Select all that apply.) A. Assess the woman for drug and alcohol abuse and possible withdrawal. B. Assess the womans health knowledge and health literacy. C. Ask if the woman has other children and who is caring for them. D. Determine if the woman has risk factors for pregnancy complications. E. Inquire about the womans criminal history and background. ANS: A, B, C, D A nurse who is able to deliver culturally competent care to incarcerated women quickly becomes cognizant of the challenges of caring for this population. These women tend to have many health problems, including substance abuse and dependency. They frequently have not had access to health-related knowledge. Because nearly 1.3 million children of incarcerated women have no mother figure in their lives, women in prison or jail are often deeply concerned about their welfare. This demonstrates caring and can often be the motivation for making changes. The nurse needs to complete a thorough obstetrical history, including determining risk factors for high-risk pregnancy. The nurse does not need to know about the womans criminal history. 12. Which childhood illnesses are the subject of a Healthy People initiative regarding vaccinations? (Select all that apply.) A. Asthma B. Measles C. Meningitis D. Mumps E. Pertussis ANS: B, D, E One goal of the Healthy People initiative is to reduce vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles, mumps, and rubella to zero cases and to reduce pertussis in children under 7 to no more than 2,000 cases/year. Asthma and meningitis are not included in this goal. 13. A nurse is working with a patient determined to have low health literacy and has taught the patient vital self-care measures for a chronic illness. How will the nurse best determine if the patient has understood the information? (Select all that apply.) A. Ask for a return demonstration of the skills taught. B. Assess if the patient will take brochures written for this illness. C. Encourage the patient to explain how the information fits into his or her daily life. D. Give the patient a written quiz at the end of the teaching session. E. Have the patient repeat the information in her or his own words. ANS: A, C, E Communicating with people who have low health literacy can be challenging. Some strategies the nurse can employ are: specific training, asking open-ended questions, asking patients to restate information or provide a return demonstration of skills, using plain and culturally sensitive language, and developing health information tailored to specific populations. To assess for cultural congruency, the nurse can ask the patient to explain how the self-care measures fit into the patients life. Simply giving the patient brochures does not guarantee that the patient understands or will use them, or even whether the patient can read. Giving a quiz might be seen as intimidating. 14. A nurse has helped organize and staff a free vaccination clinic for underserved populations in a central location of the city. The nurse is unhappy that so few people came to the clinic. In evaluating this outcome, what factors does the nurse recognize as potentially leading to the problem? (Select all that apply.) A. Clinic hours B. Inability to miss work C. Lack of insurance D. Lack of transportation E. Language barriers ANS: A, B, D, E Underserved, typically poor, populations face multiple obstacles to obtaining health care that need to be considered when organizing events. If the clinic hours were during the day, parents might be reluctant to pull children out of school for fear of being labeled as truant. Parents participating in welfare to work programs or who have low-skill, low-wage jobs might not be able to miss work, or would forfeit pay by doing so. Participants need transportation to the clinic, which is located in one area of town. Language barriers could lead to confusion or misunderstanding or lack of awareness of the clinic. The lack of insurance shouldnt be a concern because the vaccinations are free, but it is possible this was a point that some misunderstood. Chapter 3: The Evolving Family(FREE) Nursing School Test Banks Chapter 3: The Evolving Family MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The clinic nurse is taking a history from a woman who came to the clinic to get test results. The patient brought a coworker with her because she is worried. The patient asks to have her coworker remain in the exam room when the doctor describes the test findings. The patient states that the friend is like a sister. The nurse would most correctly identify the two women as which of the following? A. Extended family B. Family C. Family of choice D. Family of origin ANS: A A family consists of two or more members who self-identify as a family and interact and depend on one another socially, emotionally, and financially. Because the patient self-identifies the friend as like a sister, the patient and friend consider themselves a family. 2. The clinic nurse understands that children who come for well-child visits at age 10 are in the process of developing which of the following attributes? A. Attachment B. Coordination C. Personal values D. Self-identity ANS: D During the school-aged and adolescent/teenage developmental stage, personal values are shaped and clarified and ethical development occurs. This stage provides the optimal opportunity for teaching about drugs, sex, and health promotion. 3. A new mother with a 2-month-old daughter tells the family clinic nurse that she is experiencing a lack of sleep because of infant night feedings and her husbands shift work and excessive overtime. Which of the following is the best description of this family concern? A. Caregiver strain B. Coping stress C. Lack of support D. Parental maladaptation ANS: A Caregiver strain occurs when the main caregiver becomes overwhelmed and feels underhelped regarding the tasks concerned with the care of the family member. In this situation, mounting bitterness and withdrawal from other family members may cause caregivers to push away any potential helpers. 4. A patient describes her spouses dependence on oxycodone terephthalate (Percocet), which began following knee surgery last year. Although the prescription was finished some time ago, the spouse continues to obtain and take Percocet. Because of the spouses need for the medication, the patient has to do all the yard work, child care, and meal preparation. How would the nurse describe the patients behavior? A. Enabler B. Impaired caregiver C. Inadequate dyad partner D. Overstressed parent ANS: A An enabler is a common role in families with addictions. The enabler makes excuses for the addicted persons behavior. The patients behavior allows the spouse to continue with the addiction without being held accountable. 5. A mother brings her 8-year-old daughter to the clinic for the third time in 2 months. The mother states that her daughter is very active and often falls down. The mother states that her daughter eats well, but the childs weight falls below the 10th percentile. The clinic record shows the child had multiple bruises on her arms at the time of the last two visits. Today the nurse notes that the child has areas of ecchymosis on her left leg and ankle. Which action by the nurse is best? A. Ask the child and her mother again about the childs bruises. B. Question the child about her accident-prone behaviors. C. Speak with the child alone, asking if she feels safe at home. D. Teach the mother to keep a diary of what her child is eating. ANS: C This childs presentation is suspicious. If child abuse is suspected, the nurse should question the child privately. In all situations the nurse is legally obligated to report the abuse to the proper investigating agency. 6. The clinic nurse notices that each time a child with leukemia is brought in to see the doctor, her mother and aunt accompany her. The mother states that she finds her daughters illness to be very traumatic and is having difficulty coping. The childs aunt encourages the childs mother and distracts the child while her blood work is being drawn. The childs aunt could be described as taking on which of the following roles? A. Child-caregiver role B. Kinship role C. Socializer role D. Therapist role ANS: D Structural-functional theory focuses on the functioning of the family and the roles assumed by each family member to promote family function. Necessary roles include provider, housekeeper, child caregiver, socializer, sexual partner, therapist, recreational organizer, and kinship member. The therapist role is assumed when one family member expresses concern for anothers health or emotional well-being. The aunt does not appear to be the primary caregiver (child-caregiver role). There is no indication that the aunt fills the socializer role by organizing family social activities. The kinship role includes maintaining family and social ties by things like remembering important dates, and the aunt does not appear to function in that role either. 7. The nurse observes a woman and her sister who live together. They are trying to support one another and provide extended care to their mother who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. The two sisters describe their experience with a homemaker who visits their home to help bathe their mother. They say she is humorous and cheerful and absorbs their mothers attention for the whole time she is present. This is a positive description of which component of Bowens family systems theory? A. Communication B. Family relationship building C. Family rituals D. Triangulation ANS: D According to Bowen, triangulation occurs when a dyad (the sisters) focuses on a third person who draws attention away from their conflicts. The homemaker is serving this function in this family. Bowens theory looks at family problems that are rooted in family processes, such as communication. Relationship building and rituals are not part of this theory. 8. A nurse is assessing a single person at a clinic visit. How would the nurse classify this patients family? A. Family of choice B. Family of origin C. Not in a family D. Nuclear family ANS: C Most definitions of family require at least two people who self-define as being part of that family. Thus, a single individual cannot be a family. A family of choice is the family adopted through marriage or cohabitation. A family of origin includes the individuals who reared the person of interest. A nuclear family consists of a male partner, a female partner, and their children. 9. A patient tells the nurse about living in a commune. What does the nurse understand about this family structure? A. Family with distant relatives included B. Group of men, women, and children C. Kinship care provided to children D. Unmarried man and woman living together ANS: B A commune is a group of men, women, and children all living together. Families with relatives beyond the nuclear family are called extended families. Kinship care provided to children constitutes a no-parent family. An unmarried man and woman living together is called cohabitation. 10. A nurse is assessing a child with very poor social skills. What conclusion can the nurse make about the childs family? A. Emotional or mental illness B. Not filling socialization needs C. Poorly educated, poor job skills D. Probably lower-income status ANS: B Families should fulfill five functions: physical needs, economic needs, reproductive needs, affective and coping needs, and socialization needs. A child with poor social skills probably (but not necessarily) comes from a family that is not fulfilling the childs socialization needs. Assuming that the child has an emotional or mental illness without further assessment is unhelpful. Assuming that the family is lower income, is poorly educated, and has poor job skills is stereotypical. 11. A nurse is working with family members who have been striving to improve their functioning as a family unit. What behavior would suggest to the nurse that the family is meeting its goals? A. The children are in multiple activities to develop talents. B. The desire to be understood guides most communication. C. Family members gave up some activities in order to eat dinner together on most nights. D. The parents have a strong desire for the children to succeed. ANS: C Effective tools for families include ways to enhance family performance. One very effective tool is to put the family first in this very chaotic world. Giving up some activities in order to eat dinner together shows the family is putting the unit as a whole first over individual desires. This is the opposite of children being in multiple activities, which often cuts into family time and can be disruptive. Communication should be guided by the desire to understand the other first, then to be understood. A strong desire for the childrens success does not guarantee successful family functioning. 12. A nurse works a great deal with refugees and is frustrated because, as a group, they dont seem to want to implement desired health behaviors. What action by the nurse would be most helpful? A. Conduct a health screening and educational event each month. B. Provide written information in the groups native language. C. Teach selected group representatives to be lay health educators. D. Try to establish relationships within the refugee community. ANS: C According to family systems theory, each family system contains boundaries that affect how the outside world interacts with the family. Families that have recently immigrated to the United States might have closed boundaries and may only be receptive to health information provided by extended family members or members of their community. Establishing a lay health educator program in which community members can be taught health information with the intent of delivering it to their communities would be a good way to work with these families while respecting their boundaries. Regularly occurring health events might improve the nurses standing in the community. Written information may or may not be helpful; many refugees are illiterate in their native languages and some languages do not have a written form. Establishing relationships within the community is advisable, but does not go far enough to solve the problem. 13. A patient is dismissed from the hospital and is receiving nursing care at home to help in the recovery from a serious illness and operation. The visiting nurse notes that the family is in a state of disarray and members are disorganized and not communicating. The patient is trying to direct everyones actions. The nurse calls a family meeting. What action by the nurse is best? A. Encourage family members to make to do lists and assign chores. B. Explain that changes in one person require changes in the others. C. Make a referral to a counselor or mental health nurse practitioner. D. Tell the family members that for the patient to recover, they have to assume his or her role. ANS: B Family systems theory recognizes that changes in one member of a family affect every other member of the family. In order for the family to function effectively, all members need to adapt to the major changes in one of the members. Making lists and assigning chores are simple tasks that might help with organization, but this does not go far enough in solving the problem. The family may or may not need a referral for counseling. Simply telling the family members a fact does not give them enough information to adapt. 14. A nurse who works with families uses Duvalls family developmental theory as the core of nursing practice. What action by this nurse takes priority? A. Assessing the developmental stage of the family B. Determining how the family interacts with society C. Observing what roles each family member assumes D. Tailoring teaching to the specific needs of the family ANS: A Developmental theory has as its core the idea that every person moves through developmental stages with tasks that must be mastered before they can move on to the next stage. Family developmental theory assumes the same progression for families as a unit. Duvalls theory identifies eight family stages. The nurse using Duvalls family developmental theory must first assess the stage the family is in, because teaching and all other interventions must be tailored to that stage. Only tailoring the teaching to specific needs does not necessarily require assessment of the family using a developmental approach. Determining how the family interacts with society is more in line with systems theory. Observing roles is part of structural-functional theory. 15. A nurse is working with a blended family of 1 year with five children aged 3, 7, 13 (twins), and 19. The parents seem overly stressed and anxious and do not seem to work well as a unit. What can the nurse conclude about this family? A. Communication problems are the core of the parents stress. B. Economic stressors are impacting the parental dyad. C. The family is in too many developmental stages to master any of them. D. There are too many children to give each one adequate attention. ANS: C In family developmental theory, the age of the child determines the stage the family is in. If there is more than one child, the family is probably in multiple developmental stages at the same time. The family is probably in a combination of beginning families, preschool, school-aged and adolescent, and launching stages. The competing priorities of all of these stages pave the way for chaos. Without further information, the nurse cannot conclude that economic stressors or communication problems are the root cause of the issue. Simply concluding that the family has too many children is judgmental and does not leave any room for interventions. 16. A family practice nurse is working with a patient who is asking for anti-anxiety medications to deal with the stress and frustration of an adult child who wont leave the home. Based on knowledge of the tasks of launching children, which resource should the nurse suggest first? A. Anger management counseling B. Contact numbers for vocational training C. Information on a parenting workshop D. Marriage and couples counseling ANS: B An adult child who still lives at home is either using home base as a temporary arrangement while continuing education or as a nonaction until more permanent ties have been established elsewhere. With the parents frustration and anxiety, this situation of incomplete launching needs to be addressed. The first suggestion should be about vocational assessment and training for the adult child. There is no indication the patient needs anger management, a parenting workshop, or marriage counseling. 17. A patient has been dismissed from the hospital after a serious illness and needs several weeks of home care and rehabilitation. When the visiting nurse comes to the house, it is apparent that the family is not functioning. The house is dirty, there is little food available, and one parent and an older child are arguing about picking up a younger sibling from school. What action by the nurse is most appropriate? A. Ask the parents if they need financial resources for the basic necessities. B. Assess each family member for the roles he or she plays in the family. C. Contact child protective services or social work to assess the home environment. D. Provide referrals for family and couples counseling in the community. ANS: B According to structural-functional theory, each person in a family unit occupies a specific role. Sometimes roles are shared. A problem can occur when one member of the family is unable to fill his or her role and no one else is doing it. That appears to be the situation here. The nurse should assess what roles each family member plays and assist them to see how they can fulfill the role formerly held by the patient. The family may need financial resources if the patient was the breadwinner. There is no need to conduct an environmental assessment, as it does not appear that any family member is in danger. The family may or may not need counseling at this time. 18. A nurse who uses the structural-functional theory would assess which of the following when working with families? A. Communication patterns B. How things get done C. If goals are being met D. Looseness of boundaries ANS: C The structural-functional theory focuses on the outcomes, not the processes, within the family. The nurse using this theory would assess if the family goals are being met. Communication patterns are critical to communication theory. Processes are important to family developmental theory, and boundaries are important in family systems theory. 19. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to a mother of a toddler. Using communication theory, which information is the most appropriate? A. Dont nod your head yes when you say no. B. Explain things in several different ways. C. There is no need to see if a toddler understands. D. You shouldnt yell at such a young child. ANS: A According to communication theory, verbal and nonverbal messages should be congruent. A verbal no accompanied by nodding the head yes is sending inconsistent messages. Messages should be clear, so explaining things in many different ways would not be recommended. Good communicators determine if the listener has understood. Good communication demonstrates love and support clearly, but the advice to not yell is vague and seems to send the message that yelling at an older child would be more acceptable. 20. A nurse is working with a woman who is newly married and pregnant and says she is distressed because she and her husband seem to be so different and they argue over petty issues. What action by the nurse using group theory would be best? A. Ask the woman if she can remember why she and her husband fell in love. B. Caution her that this level of disagreement will cause stress to the unborn baby. C. Offer the woman a referral to a community counseling center for couples therapy. D. Reassure her that this is normal and help her brainstorm ways to work cooperatively. ANS: D According to group theory, groups evolve through the distinct stages of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Storming often occurs when a group that has recently formed notices differences in members, leading to chaos or confusion. This couple is in this stage. At this point, the nurses best action is to reassure the woman and help her brainstorm ways of working together cooperatively, which might include forming rules or procedures that both parties agree to follow. Asking about their early relationship does not give the woman information that will help the present situation. Warning the patient about the negative effects of stress on her unborn baby sounds judgmental and threatening. A referral for counseling might be needed at a future date. 21. A clinic nurse is using group theory to assess a family whose youngest child recently moved back home after graduating from college and is unable to find a job. Which statement by a parent would indicate to the nurse that goals for norming have been met? A. Im glad my son stays in his room in the basement all day so he doesnt bother us. B. Its hard to decide how much food to buy because we dont know where hes eating. C. My son is gone a lot of the time, so we really dont notice that he moved back in. D. We have agreed not to have a curfew as long as we know when he will be home. ANS: D According to group theory, a healthy family adjusts to changes in its structure by resetting roles and norms. In this family, a launched child has moved back in, disrupting the patterns established when he left. Agreeing to new rules and roles is a sign of adaptation. The other responses do not show adaptation to the new situation. 22. A student observes as an adult brother and sister lash out at the nurse caring for their hospitalized parent. The parent lives at home but is dependent on the children for care and is obviously neglected. The nurse has informed the children that social work will be involved in their fathers case. How does the nurse explain this interaction? A. Dont worry; they will calm down eventually. B. Families often get emotional in these situations. C. They are focusing attention on me, not the problem. D. This family is obviously highly dysfunctional. ANS: C This family is dysfunctional, but that does not go far enough to explain the situation. This behavior is known as triangulation, and occurs when a dyad diverts attention away from their problems and chooses instead to focus on a third party, in this case the nurse. Reassuring the student they will calm down is neither helpful nor accurate as the family members may choose to continue to lash out. Families often do get emotional, but again, this information is not really helpful. 23. A nurse working with a married couple notes that both parties seem to try to be dominant in their sessions. According to Bowens family systems theory, which question asked by the nurse would yield the most useful information? A. Are you each a first-born, middle child, or youngest sibling? B. How demonstrative were each of your parents when you were growing up? C. How many children were in each of your families? D. What socioeconomic classes did you both grow up in? ANS: A According to this family theory, birth order plays an important role in predicting certain patterns of behavior. Spouses who occupy the same birth order may have difficulty functioning together. In this case, both spouses probably are first-borns with a need for control. The other questions may yield helpful information as part of a thorough assessment, but are not related to this theory. 24. A nurse working in a pediatric clinic is attempting to assess a school-age child who is disrespectful of the nurse and parent and tears up a magazine when asked to sit down. What conclusion can the nurse make about this family? A. The child is not getting enough attention from the parents. B. The family is from an underserved community group. C. Financial stress has caused family strife and fighting. D. The parental disciplinary approach is inconsistent. ANS: D Children whose parents have a laissez-faire disciplinary style tend to be disrespectful, aggressive, and disobedient. A laissez-faire disciplinary style includes inconsistent use of discipline, allowing children (rather than the parents) control over the environment, few rules, and children making their own decisions rather than being guided by parents. The other options may be true, but without further assessment, the nurse cannot make those conclusions. 25. A family with a loud, disobedient child has been working with a nurse. Which action observed by the nurse indicates that goals for the diagnosis of impaired parenting have been met? A. The father delivers consequence to the child calmly. B. The father only asks the child twice not to do something. C. The mother doesnt cry when disciplining her child. D. The mother states that the child is still testing the limits. ANS: A Consistency in setting and enforcing rules is critical. Consequences should be delivered immediately, without anger, and consistently. The fathers disciplining the child without getting mad is demonstrating that goals have been (or are being) met. The other options do not show consistent, calm, immediate consequences. 26. A female patient from a refugee community is in the emergency department and needs urgent surgery. The patient defers making a choice on the operation, preferring to wait for a cultural elder to arrive. What action by the nurse is most appropriate? A. Encourage the patients family to talk her into having the operation. B. Explain kindly to the patient that her situation cannot wait. C. Respect the patients choice and wait for the elder to arrive. D. Take the patient to surgery under the principle of implied consent. ANS: C This is a difficult situation, but because the patients wishes are known, the nurse has no choice other than to wait. In the emergency department, sometimes surgery is performed under the principle of implied consent (for instance, on an unconscious patient with no known family), but in this case, the patient has been clear as to her wishes, so doing that would be an ethics violation. The nurse must be careful to not be coercive. The nurse (and physician) would ensure that the patient understands the risks of waiting. 27. A nurse wishes to assess how often members of a family consume alcohol or use drugs during a typical week. What type of family assessment tool would this nurse choose? A. Ecomap B. Genogram C. Qualitative D. Quantitative ANS: D A quantitative tool measures the frequency at which problems or behaviors occur. An ecomap is a tool that displays the outside systems used by the family. A genogram illustrates the family structures and compares generations within the same family. Qualitative tools measure the descriptions and depth of family experiences. 28. A mother is worried about her three children developing an inherited medical condition because many members of her family have died from this disease. To start an assessment of this family, which tool should the nurse choose? A. Ecomap B. Genogram C. Problem list D. Quantitative tool ANS: B A genogram is a diagram of at least three generations that illustrates the present family structures and compares past generations with the present ones. To determine the prevalence of this inherited disorder in the family, the nurse would use a symbol to denote each family member with this disease. An ecomap displays the outside systems with which the family interacts. A problem list helps family members identify difficulties or negative characteristics. A quantitative tool assesses the frequency of a behavior or problem. A genogram has a quantitative influence, as it documents how many people in the family have the characteristic being studied, but a genogram is more specific. 29. A nurse explains the benefits of a strengths-and-problems list to a student. Which is the best explanation? A. Can use their strengths to work on identified priority problems B. Demonstrates that each family has both strengths and problems C. Forces people to be accountable and take responsibility for problems D. Lets families see which members have problems affecting them ANS: A A strengths-and-problems list requires the family members to list their strengths as well as what each member brings to the group that is positive. The problems list helps the family prioritize problems to work on. By seeing this information in writing, the family members can capitalize on their strengths to work on the problems. It does demonstrate that each family has both strengths and problems, but that is not the main purpose. It does not force families to take responsibility, although it does encourage this. Its purpose is not to point out who has which problems. 30. A nurse working with a pregnant woman who is a recent immigrant to the United States notes that her husband rarely accompanies her to prenatal visits, and when he does, he sits in the waiting room. What action by the nurse is best? A. Ask the patient what role men in her culture play in pregnancy. B. Ask the woman why her husband doesnt seem involved. C. Encourage the man to participate in order to support his wife. D. Research the couples cultural background and health beliefs. ANS: A Culture affects the roles family members assume during times of illness, pregnancy and childbirth, and death. The best option is to ask the woman what role men in her culture play during pregnancy and childbirth. This can open a discussion of how the woman is coping and if she is getting enough support, either from her mate or friends and family. Asking why the man doesnt seem involved is judgmental. Encouraging the man to participate may not be desired by the woman and may be seen as an intrusion by the man. The nurse could research the culture but this would not lead to a discussion until the next visit. It is also important to be aware that there are variations in how people of the same culture behave and believe. 31. A family has weekly game nights and monthly family together days. The nurse documents these events as examples of which of the following? A. Family beliefs B. Family bonding C. Family building D. Family rituals ANS: C Family-building activities are an extension of family rituals and center on recreation and leisure. They do contribute to family bonding, but the most specific answer is family building. Family activities are influenced by family beliefs. 32. A nurse is working with a family that has the nursing diagnosis of altered family processes. When formulating goals, whom does the nurse include? A. Entire family B. No one else C. Parents D. Physician ANS: A The most effective goals are those that include the entire family. The entire family agrees upon the goals and commits to working on them. 33. A 17-year-old high school senior is resentful about caring for younger siblings so the parents can have a date night once every 2 weeks. The teen often forgets and schedules work or social activities that override the parents plans. The parents are angry that the teen is so indifferent to their needs. What action by the family indicates that goals for the diagno