ASNA Independent Study Activity - Cultural Assessment of Koreans

Alabama Nurse,  Sep-Nov 2003  by Roberson, Charlene M

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* Shaking hands too firmly.

* Loud music.

* Wearing shoes in the home. (Home Health nurses should leave shoes at the door.)

* Licking your fingers.

* Drinking from a bottle - even water.

* Placing a pencil or pen in your mouth.

* Using a toothpick in public.

* Sitting on a table when communicating.

* Using red ink (red ink is used only in death books).

* Touching the head of another person.

* Not offering an item (juice) three (3) times.

Selected Korean Behaviors That Americans Find Puzzling: Behaviors include

* Not holding door open for you.

* Limp handshake.

* Always giving or receiving any item with two hands.

* Giving you better gifts than you gave them.

* Ordering food for a guest at a restaurant without asking what the guest wants.

* Men wearing white socks with suits.

* Stare and talk about Americans (or any non-Korean) in front of them.

* Women laughing with hands in front of mouth.

* Children being untrained until kindergarten.

* Sucking air with teeth.

* Little eye contact.

* Slap people when talking to you.

* Bump you in public and do not say, "I'm sorry".

* Drinking from a cup and handing you the cup for you to drink from the same cup.

* A wife walking three (3.) paces behind the husband

* Men going out with men and women going out with women. (Families rarely go out together.)

* Prefer that you touch only the edges of a form or a piece of paper.

* A wife holding the family money.

* Offering you the item that you have complimented.

* Refusing an item - even though wanted three times for courtesy.

* Husband who never praises wife's accomplishments - will only downplay her achievements.

* Eating rice with every meal.

* Motion for someone to come by placing palm down and sweeping fingers toward body.

* Having difficulty in saying no.

Post Test Questions - Select the one (1) best answer

1. Cultural Assessments should include which of the following variables:

A. Communication style & vital signs.

B. Length of time in the US & length of time for presenting symptoms.

C. Use of folk remedies & English comprehension.

D. All of the above.

2. During the admission process a patient demonstrates poor eye contact as evidenced by looking to the side and not at you. Your initial assessment is that the patient is

A. Clinically depressed.

B. Irritated at the admission process.

C. Fearful of the admission process.

D. Following expected Korean norms.

3. During routine care a family member asks you, "How old are you?" Your best response is to

A. Tell them the truth.

B. Create a humorous, obviously false age.

C. Respond, "Old enough to know better."

D. All of the above.

4. You walk into the patient's room and notice two adult males sitting very close with shoulders touching. You should

A. Alert the nursing staff to possible misbehavior on the unit.

B. Offer to bring an additional chair into the room.

C. Keep a close watch of the two.

D. Accept this behavior.

5. You offer a supper tray to a new admission that has been in the Emergency Room since early in the day. The emergency Room staff has indicated that the patient has not eaten. The patient refuses the tray. Your next action should be to