Chapter 04: Sociocultural Issues
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. An older Asian female with a diagnosis of depression is cared for by her granddaughter. Her
granddaughter is very attentive to the client’s needs, attends every therapy session, and is active in the
planning and implementing of the treatment plan. The granddaughter’s valuing of her grandmother is
most likely due to her:
a. Ethnicity
b. Cultural beliefs
c. Religion
d. Stereotype
ANS: B
Cultural beliefs develop over many generations and are a learned set of values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Asian cultures commonly value their elderly family members. Ethnicity and religion do not explain
the granddaughter’s behavior in that ethnicity describes customs and socialization patterns, and
religion refers to an organized form of worship. Stereotyping is a preconceived belief about another
cultural group, so it does not apply to this situation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 31
OBJ: 1 TOP: Characteristics of Culture
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
2. A traditional Arab female client is brought to the emergency department by her husband. She
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complains of feeling very anx ouRanIdN
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th and has chest pain. What would likely
be a hindrance to the care of this client?
a. The emergency department physician is female.
b. Her husband asks if he can stay with his wife.
c. One of the emergency department nurses is of Arab descent.
d. The only caregivers available in the emergency department are male.
ANS: D
, In some traditional Arab cultures, a woman will not make eye contact with any man except her
husband and may not be touched by another man. Having only male staff in the emergency
department on this shift would block necessary care. Arrangements would have to be made to have a
female staff member come to the emergency department to assist in client care. The other options
should not cause a problem.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 31
OBJ: 3 TOP: Characteristics of Culture
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Intervention MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
3. Disease is defined as:
a. Social dysfunction
b. Emotional dysfunction
c. Physical dysfunction
d. Intellectual dysfunction
ANS: C
Disease differs from illness in that disease is an abnormal physical function, whereas illness refers to
social, emotional, and intellectual dysfunction. Illness is affected by culture, but
disease is not.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge REF: p. 33
OBJ: 4 TOP: Health and Illness Beliefs
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Evaluation MSC: Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
4. The nurse is caring for a 20-year-old woman from Puerto Rico. The client speaks English, but she is
accompanied by her mother, who does not. The client has a history of mental illness, and through the
interpreter, the nurse learns that the mother, who has traditional Puerto Rican cultural beliefs, believes
that the client’s mental illness is caused by:
a. Witchcraft
b. Stress
c. Chemical imbalances
d. A trance
ANS: A
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. An older Asian female with a diagnosis of depression is cared for by her granddaughter. Her
granddaughter is very attentive to the client’s needs, attends every therapy session, and is active in the
planning and implementing of the treatment plan. The granddaughter’s valuing of her grandmother is
most likely due to her:
a. Ethnicity
b. Cultural beliefs
c. Religion
d. Stereotype
ANS: B
Cultural beliefs develop over many generations and are a learned set of values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Asian cultures commonly value their elderly family members. Ethnicity and religion do not explain
the granddaughter’s behavior in that ethnicity describes customs and socialization patterns, and
religion refers to an organized form of worship. Stereotyping is a preconceived belief about another
cultural group, so it does not apply to this situation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 31
OBJ: 1 TOP: Characteristics of Culture
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
2. A traditional Arab female client is brought to the emergency department by her husband. She
NiU
complains of feeling very anx ouRanIdN
sS shGoT
rtB
o.f bCrO
eaM
th and has chest pain. What would likely
be a hindrance to the care of this client?
a. The emergency department physician is female.
b. Her husband asks if he can stay with his wife.
c. One of the emergency department nurses is of Arab descent.
d. The only caregivers available in the emergency department are male.
ANS: D
, In some traditional Arab cultures, a woman will not make eye contact with any man except her
husband and may not be touched by another man. Having only male staff in the emergency
department on this shift would block necessary care. Arrangements would have to be made to have a
female staff member come to the emergency department to assist in client care. The other options
should not cause a problem.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 31
OBJ: 3 TOP: Characteristics of Culture
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Intervention MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
3. Disease is defined as:
a. Social dysfunction
b. Emotional dysfunction
c. Physical dysfunction
d. Intellectual dysfunction
ANS: C
Disease differs from illness in that disease is an abnormal physical function, whereas illness refers to
social, emotional, and intellectual dysfunction. Illness is affected by culture, but
disease is not.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge REF: p. 33
OBJ: 4 TOP: Health and Illness Beliefs
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Evaluation MSC: Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
4. The nurse is caring for a 20-year-old woman from Puerto Rico. The client speaks English, but she is
accompanied by her mother, who does not. The client has a history of mental illness, and through the
interpreter, the nurse learns that the mother, who has traditional Puerto Rican cultural beliefs, believes
that the client’s mental illness is caused by:
a. Witchcraft
b. Stress
c. Chemical imbalances
d. A trance
ANS: A
