The laboring client in the first stage of labor is talking and laughing with her husband. The nurse should conclude that the client is probably in what phase?
- A. Transition
- B. Active
- C. Active pushing
- D. Latent
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: During the latent phase (1—3 cm), the client is usually happy and talkative. During the transition phase (8—10 cm), the client is usually more restless, irritable, and more likely to lose control. During the active phase (4—7 cm), the client may become more anxious and fatigued and needs to concentrate on breathing techniques to cope with the increasingly stronger contractions. The client who is actively pushing is focusing on how effective she is in the descent of the fetus and concentrating on how she is coping with contractions. She is usually not expressing happiness or laughter, and is not talkative.
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An LPN asks an RN to assist in locating the fundus of the client who is 8 hours post—vaginal delivery. Place an X at the location on the client’s abdomen where the RN should direct the LPN to begin to palpate the fundus.
Correct Answer: Level of the umbilicus
Rationale: Six to 12 hours after birth, the fundus of the uterus rises to the level of the umbilicus due to blood and clots that remain within the uterus and changes in ligament support. Thus, the RN should direct the LPN to locate the client’s fundus at the level of the umbilicus.
Which instruction is most appropriate for a client with a history of preterm birth?
- A. Monitor for uterine contractions
- B. Avoid prenatal vitamins
- C. Limit fluid intake
- D. Resume normal activity levels
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Monitoring for uterine contractions is critical for a client with a history of preterm birth to detect early signs of preterm labor.
The nurse evaluates the pregnant client with sickle cell disease during her second trimester. The nurse should identify which manifestation as being related to sickle cell disease and not the pregnancy?
- A. Hand and lower extremities edema
- B. Elevated serum blood glucose level
- C. Decreased oxygen saturation level
- D. Elevated blood pressure
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Decreased oxygen saturation level is a clinical manifestation of sickle cell disease. Dehydration and anemia during pregnancy can result in vaso-occlusive crisis, which causes damage to RBCs and decreased oxygenation. The decrease in oxygenation manifests in decreased oxygen saturation levels. Edema is a normal finding related to pregnancy. A decrease in osmotic pressure causes a shift of body fluids into interstitial spaces, leading to edema. Elevated serum blood glucose levels after a meal help ensure that there is a sustained supply of glucose available for the fetus. Sustained elevation may be associated with pregnancy-related diabetes, not sickle cell disease. Elevated BP is associated with essential hypertension or preeclampsia.
A 5-minute-old newborn in a delivery room has a good cry, HR 88, well flexed, good reflex irritability, and blue extremities with a completely pink body. What Apgar score would the nurse document for this newborn?
Correct Answer: 8
Rationale: The newborn would receive one point because the HR is below 100 bpm, two points for a good cry (respiratory effort), two points for being well flexed (muscle tone), two points for good reflex irritability (reflex response), and one point for a pink body with blue extremities (color).
The nurse assesses the 34-week pregnant client (G2P1). Place the assessment findings in the sequence that they should be addressed by the nurse from the most significant to the least significant.
- A. Pedal edema at +3
- B. BP 144/94 mm Hg
- C. Positive group beta streptococcus vaginal culture
- D. Fundal height increase of 4.5 cm in 1 week
Correct Answer: B,D,A,C
Rationale: BP 144/94 mm Hg warrants immediate evaluation. It could indicate preeclampsia, a condition that can progress to serious complications. Fundal height increase of 4.5 cm in 1 week is abnormal and requires further follow-up. Normal fundal height increase is 1 to 2 cm per week. An increase in fundal size can be related to gestational diabetes, large-for-gestational-age fetus, fetal anomalies, or polyhydramnios. Pedal edema at +3 may be a normal physiological process if it is an isolated finding. Pedal edema warrants further assessment because it can be a symptom of preeclampsia. Positive group beta streptococcus vaginal culture warrants antibiotic treatment in labor but does not warrant intervention during the pregnancy.