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A nurse is assisting a laboring person with an epidural. What is the most important nursing intervention prior to the procedure?
- A. ensure proper positioning
- B. ensure informed consent
- C. monitor contractions
- D. assist with controlled breathing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Ensure informed consent. This is crucial before any medical procedure, including epidural administration. It ensures the laboring person understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the epidural. Proper positioning (choice A) is important during the procedure but not the most critical pre-procedure intervention. Monitoring contractions (choice C) and assisting with breathing (choice D) are important aspects of labor support but not directly related to obtaining informed consent for the epidural.
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A 38-week pregnant patient in active labor is experiencing frequent and painful contractions. What is the most appropriate action for the nurse?
- A. Administer narcotic analgesics for pain relief
- B. Provide emotional support and reassurance
- C. Assess the fetal heart rate and contraction patterns
- D. Prepare for delivery
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Prepare for delivery. At 38 weeks of gestation and in active labor, the most appropriate action is to prepare for delivery as the patient is likely to be close to giving birth. This involves ensuring that all necessary equipment and supplies are ready, notifying the healthcare team, and positioning the patient for delivery. Administering narcotic analgesics (choice A) may not be ideal at this stage as the priority is the imminent delivery. While emotional support and reassurance (choice B) are important, they should be provided alongside preparing for delivery. Assessing the fetal heart rate and contraction patterns (choice C) is crucial but should be done concurrently with preparing for delivery to ensure the safety of both the mother and baby.
A 36-week gestation gravid lies flat on her back.
- A. Hypertension.
- B. Dizziness.
- C. Rales.
- D. Chloasma.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Lying flat on the back can compress the inferior vena cava, leading to reduced blood flow and dizziness. Chloasma, rales, and hypertension are unrelated to this position.
What is the most common indication for performing an episiotomy?
- A. to prevent severe perineal tears
- B. to allow the birth to occur more quickly
- C. to relieve the risk of shoulder dystocia
- D. to control excessive vaginal bleeding
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: to control excessive vaginal bleeding. Episiotomy is primarily performed to manage and control postpartum hemorrhage by facilitating better visualization and access for suturing any bleeding vessels. It is not routinely done for preventing severe tears, expediting birth, or addressing shoulder dystocia, as there are alternative interventions for these situations. Episiotomy should be carefully considered and performed only when necessary to avoid unnecessary complications and promote better outcomes.
What is the embryonic membrane that contains fingerlike projections on its surface, which attach to the uterine wall?
- A. Amnion
- B. Yolk sac
- C. Chorion
- D. Decidua basalis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The chorion is a thick membrane with fingerlike projections (villi) on its outermost surface.
A client who was seen in the prenatal clinic at 20 weeks’ gestation weighed 128 lb at that time. Approximately how many pounds would the nurse expect the client to weigh at her next visit at 24 weeks’ gestation?
- A. 129 to 130 lb.
- B. 131 to 132 lb.
- C. 133 to 134 lb.
- D. 135 to 136 lb.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A weight gain of 1 lb per week is expected during the second and third trimesters. Therefore, the client should gain approximately 4 lb between 20 and 24 weeks.