The client who is 32 weeks pregnant asks how the nurse will monitor the baby’s growth and determine if the baby is “really okay.” Which assessments should the nurse identify for evaluating the fetus for adequate growth and viability? Select all that apply.
- A. Auscultate maternal heart tones.
- B. Measure the height of the fundus.
- C. Measure the client’s abdominal girth.
- D. Complete a third-trimester ultrasound.
- E. Auscultate the fetal heart tones (FHT).
Correct Answer: B,E
Rationale: Adequate fetal growth is evaluated by measuring the fundal height. Auscultating the FHT assesses fetal viability. The presence of fetal (not maternal) heart tones starting at around 10-12 weeks is a standard to assess fetal growth and viability. The abdominal circumference does not provide information about fetal growth. The increase in abdominal girth could be due to weight gain or fluid retention, not just growth of the baby. Third-trimester ultrasound is neither routine nor advised for routine prenatal care because of the added cost and potential risk to the fetus.
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The nurse is caring for the client who is Rh negative at 13 weeks’ gestation. The client is having cramping and has moderate vaginal bleeding. Which HCP order should the nurse question?
- A. Administer Rho(D) immune globulin (RhoGAM).
- B. Obtain a beta human chorionic gonadotropin level (BHCG).
- C. Schedule for an immediate ultrasound.
- D. Place on continuous external fetal monitoring.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Obtaining the BHCG level is not indicated at 13 weeks’ gestation. BHCG levels are followed in early pregnancy before a fetal heartbeat can be confirmed. RhoGAM is indicated for any pregnant client with bleeding who is Rh negative. An ultrasound can identify the cause of bleeding and confirm fetal viability. Continuous external fetal monitoring can be used to confirm a fetal heartbeat, fetal viability, and fetal risk.
The client is diagnosed with pregnancy-related diabetes at 28 weeks’ gestation. In teaching the client, the nurse includes which information for managing her blood glucose levels? Select all that apply.
- A. Drawing glycosylated hemoglobin A1c levels
- B. Performing home blood glucose monitoring
- C. Developing a weight management plan
- D. Engaging in appropriate daily exercise
- E. Taking oral diabetic agents in the am.
Correct Answer: A,B,C,D
Rationale: Hgb A1c will be drawn and monitored throughout the pregnancy, with a goal of reaching a level of less than 7%. Home blood glucose monitoring will help the client identify when her blood glucose is outside normal parameters. Excessive weight gain worsens control of glucose levels. Exercise adapted for the pregnant body is important to glucose control. Oral diabetic agents are contraindicated in pregnant clients.
Before the pelvic examination, which intervention by the nurse is most appropriate?
- A. Give the client an enema.
- B. Instruct the client to urinate.
- C. Shave the client's perineum.
- D. Give the client a mild sedative.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Instructing the client to urinate ensures a comfortable examination by emptying the bladder, which can interfere with pelvic assessment.
The primigravida client has been pushing for 2 hours when the infant’s head emerges. The infant fails to deliver, and the obstetrician states that the turtle sign has occurred. Which should be the nurse’s interpretation of this information?
- A. There is cephalopelvic disproportion.
- B. The infant has a shoulder dystocia.
- C. The infant’s position is occiput posterior.
- D. The infant’s umbilical cord is prolapsed.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The “turtle sign” occurs when the infant’s head suddenly retracts back against the mother’s perineum after emerging from the vagina, resembling a turtle pulling its head back into its shell. This head retraction is caused by the infant’s anterior shoulder being caught on the back of the maternal pubic bone (shoulder dystocia), preventing delivery of the remainder of the infant. Cephalopelvic disproportion occurs when the head is too large to fit through the client’s pelvis. Fetal descent ceases, and infant’s head would not emerge. Persistent occiput posterior results in prolonged pushing; however, once the head is born, the remainder of the birth occurs without difficulty. A cord prolapse occurs when the umbilical cord enters the cervix before the fetal presenting part and is considered a medical emergency.
The nurse is caring for the Muslim client in labor. What should the nurse be most aware of as a possible belief of the client?
- A. Male health care providers should enter the room after receiving permission from her husband.
- B. The client may prefer to eat only “hot” foods and to drink only special tea and warm water.
- C. Fathers, rather than female relatives, are usually present to provide support during the labor.
- D. She will be more likely to moan, scream, or cry out in pain during each labor contraction.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Some Muslim women are not comfortable with male HCPs and may prefer to have their husband in the room if a male is involved in care. Eating “hot” foods and drinking special tea and warm water are preferences of Hmong women from Laos and not those of Muslim women. The Muslim client may choose to have her husband, a male relative, or a female friend or relative provide support during childbirth, rather than her father. Muslim women are more likely to be silent and stoic during labor contractions, and not cry out in pain.
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