Patient Name: Stephen Ridingin
Age: 45
Sex: Male
Language: English
Race/Ethnicity: American Indian/Alaska Native
History:
• Today’s visit is a well-patient visit
• Patient in good health
• You are aware that there is an increased risk of
colorectal cancer in American Indian/Alaska Native
populations
• Charts indicate patient has suffered GI distress,
abdominal pain and rectal bleeding
Today’s visit:
• When interviewing the patient, you would like to get
a family history to determine whether the patient is
at increased risk for colorectal cancer
• If the patient is at increased risk, you would like to
develop a plan for prevention/detection
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1.
Before going in to see the patient, you check with the nurse
assigned to him to get the status of the family history. She
states that the patient was uncooperative and seemed to sit and
stare into space rather than look at her or respond to the
questions. What cultural issue might explain the behavior the
nurse described?
a. The patient is not willing to talk to a nurse
b. The long silent pauses indicate a careful
consideration of the questions asked
c. Not looking someone in the eye is a sign
of respect
d. Not looking someone in the eye is a sign
of fear of soul theft
e. b and d
f. b, c and d
The correct answer is F. In Native cultures, silence often
represents a careful consideration of the question being asked.
Also, not looking someone in the eye may represent respect for
the speaker or a fear of soul theft. |
