When assessing a 5-year-old Asian client in the emergency department,

QUESTION

When assessing a 5-year-old Asian client in the emergency department, the nurse observes welts on the client’s body. The nurse’s first course of action should be to

a. report child abuse to the authorities.
b. consult a traditional healer.
c. question the family about cultural practices.
d. ignore it because it is an imbalance between “yin and yang.”

ANSWER:

ANS: C
In some Asian countries, healers use a process of “coining,” in which a coin is heated and vigorously rubbed on the body to draw illness out of the body. The resulting welts can mistakenly be attributed to child abuse if this practice is not understood. A cultural assessment needs to be done first. The first course of action is to do a cultural assessment by questioning the family. The welts should not be ignored because they could indicate child abuse.