Health Assessment Practice Questions
5. The nurse is interviewing a patient who has a hearing impairment. What techniques
would be most beneficial in communicating with this patient?
A) Determine the communication method he prefers.
B) Avoid using facial and hand gestures because most hearing-impaired people find this
degrading.
C) Request a sign language interpreter before meeting with him to help facilitate the
communication.
D) Speak loudly and with exaggerated facial movement when talking with him because
this helps with lip reading. - Question and answersA) Determine the communication
method he prefers.
Pages: 40-41 The nurse should ask the deaf person the preferred way to communicate
—by signing, lip reading, or writing. If the person prefers lip reading, then the nurse
should be sure to face him or her squarely and have good lighting on the nurse's face.
The nurse should not exaggerate lip movements because this distorts words. Similarly,
shouting distorts the reception of a hearing aid the person may wear. The nurse should
speak slowly and should supplement his or her voice with appropriate hand gestures or
pantomime.
7. A female patient does not speak English well, and the nurse needs to choose an
interpreter. Which of the following would be the most appropriate choice?
A) A trained interpreter
B) A male family member
C) A female family member
D) A volunteer college student from the foreign language studies department - Question
and answersA) A trained interpreter
Page: 46 whenever possible, the nurse should use a trained interpreter, preferably one
who knows medical terminology. In general, an older, more mature interpreter is
preferred to a younger, less experienced one, and the same gender is preferred when
possible.
,11. In the majority culture of America, coughing, sweating, and diarrhea are symptoms
of an illness. For some individuals of Mexican-American origin, however, these
symptoms are a normal part of living. The nurse recognizes that this is true, probably
because Mexican-Americans:
A) have less efficient immune systems and are often ill.
B) consider these symptoms a part of normal living, not symptoms of ill health.
C) come from Mexico and coughing is normal and healthy there.
D) are usually in a lower socioeconomic group and are more likely to be sick. - Question
and answersB) consider these symptoms a part of normal living, not symptoms of ill
health.
Page: 27 The nurse needs to identify the meaning of health to the patient, remembering
that concepts are derived, in part, from the way in which members of the cultural group
define health.
12. Among many Asians there is a belief in the yin/yang theory, rooted in the ancient
Chinese philosophy of Tao. The nurse recognizes which statement that most accurately
reflects "health" in an Asian with this belief?
A) A person is able to work and produce.
B) A person is happy, stable, and feels good.
C) All aspects of the person are in perfect balance.
D) A person is able to care for others and function socially. - Question and answersC)
All aspects of the person are in perfect balance.
Page: 21 Many Asians believe in the yin/yang theory, in which health is believed to exist
when all aspects of the person are in perfect balance. The other statements do not
describe this theory.
14. If an American Indian has come to the clinic to seek help with regulating her
diabetes, the nurse can expect that she:
A) will comply with the treatment prescribed.
B) has obviously given up her beliefs in naturalistic causes of disease.
C) may also be seeking the assistance of a shaman or medicine man.
D) will need extra help in dealing with her illness and may be experiencing a crisis of
faith. - Question and answersC) may also be seeking the assistance of a shaman or
medicine man.
Page: 23 When self-treatment is unsuccessful, the individual may turn to the lay or folk
healing systems, to spiritual or religious healing, or to scientific biomedicine. In addition
to seeking help from a biomedical or scientific health care provider, patients may also
seek help from folk or religious healers.
, 15. An elderly Mexican-American woman with traditional beliefs has been admitted to
an inpatient care unit. A culturally-sensitive nurse would:
A) contact the hospital administrator about the best course of action.
B) automatically get a curandero for her because it is not culturally appropriate for her to
request one.
C) further assess the patient's cultural beliefs and offer the patient assistance in
contacting a curandero or priest if she desires.
D) ask the family what they would like to do because Mexican-Americans traditionally
give control of decisions to their families. - Question and answersC) further assess the
patient's cultural beliefs and offer the patient assistance in contacting a curandero or
priest if she desires.
Pages: 22-23 In addition to seeking help from the biomedical/scientific health care
provider, patients may also seek help from folk or religious healers. Some people, such
as those of Mexican-American or American Indian origins, may believe that the cure is
incomplete unless the body, mind, and spirit are also healed (although the division of
the person into parts is a Western concept).
16. The nurse is reviewing concepts of cultural aspects of pain. Which statement is true
regarding pain?
A) All patients will behave the same way when in pain.
B) Just as patients vary in their perceptions of pain, so will they vary in their expressions
of pain.
C) Cultural norms have very little to do with pain tolerance, because pain tolerance is
always biologically determined.
D) A patient's expression of pain is largely dependent on the amount of tissue injury
associated with the pain. - Question and answersB) Just as patients vary in their
perceptions of pain, so will they vary in their expressions of pain.
Page: 25 In addition to expecting variations in pain perception and tolerance, the nurse
should expect variations in the expression of pain. It is well known that individuals turn
to their social environment for validation and comparison. The other statements are
incorrect.
17. The nurse recognizes that working with children with a different cultural perspective
may be especially difficult because:
A) children have spiritual needs that are influenced by their stages of development.
B) children have spiritual needs that are direct reflections of what is occurring in their
homes.
C) religious beliefs rarely affect the parents' perceptions of the illness.
D) parents are often the decision makers, and they have no knowledge of their
children's spiritual needs. - Question and answersA) children have spiritual needs that
are influenced by their stages of development.
5. The nurse is interviewing a patient who has a hearing impairment. What techniques
would be most beneficial in communicating with this patient?
A) Determine the communication method he prefers.
B) Avoid using facial and hand gestures because most hearing-impaired people find this
degrading.
C) Request a sign language interpreter before meeting with him to help facilitate the
communication.
D) Speak loudly and with exaggerated facial movement when talking with him because
this helps with lip reading. - Question and answersA) Determine the communication
method he prefers.
Pages: 40-41 The nurse should ask the deaf person the preferred way to communicate
—by signing, lip reading, or writing. If the person prefers lip reading, then the nurse
should be sure to face him or her squarely and have good lighting on the nurse's face.
The nurse should not exaggerate lip movements because this distorts words. Similarly,
shouting distorts the reception of a hearing aid the person may wear. The nurse should
speak slowly and should supplement his or her voice with appropriate hand gestures or
pantomime.
7. A female patient does not speak English well, and the nurse needs to choose an
interpreter. Which of the following would be the most appropriate choice?
A) A trained interpreter
B) A male family member
C) A female family member
D) A volunteer college student from the foreign language studies department - Question
and answersA) A trained interpreter
Page: 46 whenever possible, the nurse should use a trained interpreter, preferably one
who knows medical terminology. In general, an older, more mature interpreter is
preferred to a younger, less experienced one, and the same gender is preferred when
possible.
,11. In the majority culture of America, coughing, sweating, and diarrhea are symptoms
of an illness. For some individuals of Mexican-American origin, however, these
symptoms are a normal part of living. The nurse recognizes that this is true, probably
because Mexican-Americans:
A) have less efficient immune systems and are often ill.
B) consider these symptoms a part of normal living, not symptoms of ill health.
C) come from Mexico and coughing is normal and healthy there.
D) are usually in a lower socioeconomic group and are more likely to be sick. - Question
and answersB) consider these symptoms a part of normal living, not symptoms of ill
health.
Page: 27 The nurse needs to identify the meaning of health to the patient, remembering
that concepts are derived, in part, from the way in which members of the cultural group
define health.
12. Among many Asians there is a belief in the yin/yang theory, rooted in the ancient
Chinese philosophy of Tao. The nurse recognizes which statement that most accurately
reflects "health" in an Asian with this belief?
A) A person is able to work and produce.
B) A person is happy, stable, and feels good.
C) All aspects of the person are in perfect balance.
D) A person is able to care for others and function socially. - Question and answersC)
All aspects of the person are in perfect balance.
Page: 21 Many Asians believe in the yin/yang theory, in which health is believed to exist
when all aspects of the person are in perfect balance. The other statements do not
describe this theory.
14. If an American Indian has come to the clinic to seek help with regulating her
diabetes, the nurse can expect that she:
A) will comply with the treatment prescribed.
B) has obviously given up her beliefs in naturalistic causes of disease.
C) may also be seeking the assistance of a shaman or medicine man.
D) will need extra help in dealing with her illness and may be experiencing a crisis of
faith. - Question and answersC) may also be seeking the assistance of a shaman or
medicine man.
Page: 23 When self-treatment is unsuccessful, the individual may turn to the lay or folk
healing systems, to spiritual or religious healing, or to scientific biomedicine. In addition
to seeking help from a biomedical or scientific health care provider, patients may also
seek help from folk or religious healers.
, 15. An elderly Mexican-American woman with traditional beliefs has been admitted to
an inpatient care unit. A culturally-sensitive nurse would:
A) contact the hospital administrator about the best course of action.
B) automatically get a curandero for her because it is not culturally appropriate for her to
request one.
C) further assess the patient's cultural beliefs and offer the patient assistance in
contacting a curandero or priest if she desires.
D) ask the family what they would like to do because Mexican-Americans traditionally
give control of decisions to their families. - Question and answersC) further assess the
patient's cultural beliefs and offer the patient assistance in contacting a curandero or
priest if she desires.
Pages: 22-23 In addition to seeking help from the biomedical/scientific health care
provider, patients may also seek help from folk or religious healers. Some people, such
as those of Mexican-American or American Indian origins, may believe that the cure is
incomplete unless the body, mind, and spirit are also healed (although the division of
the person into parts is a Western concept).
16. The nurse is reviewing concepts of cultural aspects of pain. Which statement is true
regarding pain?
A) All patients will behave the same way when in pain.
B) Just as patients vary in their perceptions of pain, so will they vary in their expressions
of pain.
C) Cultural norms have very little to do with pain tolerance, because pain tolerance is
always biologically determined.
D) A patient's expression of pain is largely dependent on the amount of tissue injury
associated with the pain. - Question and answersB) Just as patients vary in their
perceptions of pain, so will they vary in their expressions of pain.
Page: 25 In addition to expecting variations in pain perception and tolerance, the nurse
should expect variations in the expression of pain. It is well known that individuals turn
to their social environment for validation and comparison. The other statements are
incorrect.
17. The nurse recognizes that working with children with a different cultural perspective
may be especially difficult because:
A) children have spiritual needs that are influenced by their stages of development.
B) children have spiritual needs that are direct reflections of what is occurring in their
homes.
C) religious beliefs rarely affect the parents' perceptions of the illness.
D) parents are often the decision makers, and they have no knowledge of their
children's spiritual needs. - Question and answersA) children have spiritual needs that
are influenced by their stages of development.
