Question

The nurse observes that a Hispanic client and his family have been late for their appointment the last three times. Which of the following is the best explanation for this behavior? A. A lack of concern for the health of the client. B. An attempt to avoid talking to the nurse. C. The client probably forgot the appointment time. D. The client and family view time differently than does the nurse.

Short answer

Answer: The best explanation is that the client and family view time differently than does the nurse, which acknowledges cultural differences in how time is perceived and managed.

Step-by-step solution

Identifying relevant cultural differences

The first step is to consider any relevant cultural differences that may impact the way the client and his family view and manage time. In this case, the Hispanic culture may have a different perception of time than the nurse, who may belong to a different cultural background.

Considering each option and ruling out unlikely explanations

We will now consider each of the given options and see if they may be valid explanations for the client and his family's behavior: A. A lack of concern for the health of the client: This is an unlikely explanation as, generally, people care for their health, and it would be a stereotype to assume that because they're late, they do not care for their health. B. An attempt to avoid talking to the nurse: This explanation is also unlikely as there's no information provided to suggest any issues or problems between the nurse and the client, which would lead them to avoid talking to the nurse. C. The client probably forgot the appointment time: It is very unlikely that the client would forget the appointment time three times. This option would only be valid if the client had memory issues, which is not mentioned in the exercise.

Selecting the best explanation

Based on the analysis of the given options and considering cultural differences, the best explanation for the client and his family being late for their appointments is: D. The client and family view time differently than does the nurse: This option acknowledges cultural differences in how time is perceived and managed. It is a common understanding that different cultures have varying concepts of punctuality and time management. In this case, the Hispanic client and his family might not place as much emphasis on punctuality as the nurse might, which would explain their tardiness.