Self-Assessment Reflection

Nurses are trained to meet the care needs of patients from all walks of life, but what exactly does it mean to be diversity aware? Below are ten questions to test your diversity awareness. The answers to the questions are provided at the bottom of this page (no peeking!). 1. Individuals from ethnic and racial minority groups account for approximately one third of the U.S. population today. True or False? 2. Nurses from minority backgrounds represent half of the registered nurse workforce. True or False? 3. Registered nurses from minority backgrounds are more likely than their white colleagues to pursue advanced degrees in nursing. True or False? 4. Identify the percentage of adults in the United States who are obese: ■ 12% ■ 26% ■ 34% ■ 72%

5. Asian Americans use more herbal medicines than other Americans. True or False?

6. A patient who speaks only Spanish and has been given written instructions to take medication once a day. What is the potential harm?

7. Black women have higher average blood pressures compared with white women. True or False?

8. JCAHO accreditation standards define “family” as individuals related by blood or marriage.

True or False? 9. Both the Muslim and Jewish dietary practices pro-

hibit the consumption of pork and pork products. True or False?

10. The ANA envisions diversity awareness as the acknowledgement and appreciation of the existence of differences in attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and priorities in the health-seeking behaviors of different patient populations. True or False?

Answers: 1. True 2. False. Nurses from minority backgrounds represent 16.8% of the registered nurse workforce according to the 2008 National Sample Survey of

Registered Nurses. 3. True. According to the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, nurses pursing degrees beyond the associate level are white (48.4%),

African American (52.5%), Hispanic (51.5%), and Asian (75.6%). 4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33.8% of U.S. adults are obese. Nursing care must consider obesity-related issues like

mobility challenges, drug absorption, and skin conditions. 5. False. According to a 2001 Commonwealth Fund factsheet on Quality of Health Care for Asian Americans, Asian Americans are less likely than

Americans in general to use herbal medicine (20% versus 23% overall). 6. “Once” in Spanish means eleven. This patient may understand the directions to read take the medication eleven times a day. 7. True. The National Health Lung and Blood Institute states that about 37% of black women have high

blood pressure. 8. False. JCAHO states that hospital policies should define “family” as any individual that plays a significant

role in the patient’s life, such as spouses, domestic partners, significant others (of either same-sex or different-sex), and other individuals not legally related to the patients.

9. True. 10. True!

So, how did you do? If your score is less than perfect, the American Nurses Association has an on-line resource bank of materials readily available to help you polish your cultural competency. Please check it out at http://nursingworld.org/DiversityAwareness.

Test Your Diversity IQ

8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910

1-800-274-4ANA www.NursingWorld.org

January 2012