Question 1

A new mother in her first trimester comes to the outpatient clinic for her monthly assessment. She reports that she is nauseous and vomits every morning. She asks, "What causes morning sickness?" The nurse should respond:

Accepted Answer

Morning sickness is primarily caused by increasing hormone levels, particularly human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and estrogen, during pregnancy.

Question 2

During a routine prenatal assessment, a pregnant woman who is 32 weeks pregnant complains that she is having more episodes of heartburn and problems with constipation. The nurse knows that these symptoms are related to:

Accepted Answer

Increased progesterone levels during pregnancy lead to relaxation of the smooth muscles, including those in the gastrointestinal tract, which can result in symptoms like heartburn and constipation.

Question 3

A woman has just found out that her pregnancy test was positive. She reported that her last menstrual date was August 15. Using Naegele's Rule, when is her due date?

Accepted Answer

Naegele's Rule calculates the estimated due date by adding one year, subtracting three months, and adding seven days to the first day of the last menstrual period. Starting from August 15, this calculation results in a due date of May 23.

Question 4

The health-care provider recently confirmed that a woman is pregnant. The new mother to be is so happy because she has been trying to get pregnant for the past year. She told the nurse that her menstrual cycles have been very irregular and unpredictable, making it very hard to conceive. She "thinks her last menstrual cycle started in early September." What would be a reliable predictor of gestational age for this woman?

Accepted Answer

Ultrasound in the first trimester is a reliable predictor of gestational age, especially in cases where the last menstrual period is unknown or the menstrual cycles are irregular. It provides an accurate estimation of the gestational age based on fetal measurements.

Question 5

You are assessing the fetal heart rate of a woman who is 30 weeks pregnant. The woman asks what a normal fetal heart rate should be at this stage of pregnancy. The nurse's best response is:

Accepted Answer

A normal fetal heart rate ranges between 120 and 160 beats per minute, which is considered normal throughout pregnancy, including at 30 weeks.

Question 6

You are a nurse working in an outpatient obstetric clinic. You should know that a key task during the health assessment of the pregnant woman is to emphasize:

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are a nurse working in an...

Question 7

The pregnant women is 24 weeks pregnant and having a routine assessment. Her weight prior to getting pregnant was 149 lb. The nurse weighs the patient today at 162 lb and measures a fundal height at 23 cm. The patient states, "I am worried that I am going to put on too much weight and then I have to take it off." Which of the following should be the nurse's appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

The appropriate response is D because it provides accurate and supportive information regarding weight gain during pregnancy. The recommended weight gain for a single pregnancy is generally 25 to 35 pounds, and the patient's weight gain is within this healthy range, considering her pre-pregnancy weight and current weight at 24 weeks.

Question 8

A pregnant woman who is 18 weeks pregnant was telling the nurse during an assessment visit that she loves cats. She says, "I have five beautiful long-haired cats at home." What would be an appropriate response by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding cat litter is important for pregnant women due to the risk of toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by a parasite that can lead to birth defects.

Question 9

You are assessing a pregnant woman's vital signs. The blood pressure (BP) in her right arm is 148/88 and in her left arm is 148/90. As a nurse, you know that:

Accepted Answer

Pregnant women may develop pregnancy-induced hypertension, which can lead to pre-eclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and often a significant amount of protein in the urine. The blood pressure readings provided indicate hypertension, which is a concern during pregnancy.

Question 10

The patient comes to the office stating that she is having "severe" contractions. The nurse palpates for contractions and assesses contractions that feel moderate. How would you describe the feeling of a moderate contraction?

Accepted Answer

Moderate contractions are often described as feeling similar to the tip of the nose in terms of firmness. This is a common analogy used in clinical settings to help assess the intensity of uterine contractions during labor.

Question 11

A pregnant woman who is 20 weeks pregnant reports that she has not felt her baby move in the past 24 hours. You assess the fetal heart rate at 124. You put a fetal monitor on the woman to assess fetal movement for 60 minutes. There are only five confirmations of fetal movement. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A pregnant woman who is 20 weeks...

Question 12

Routine diagnostic blood testing during pregnancy includes which of the following? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Routine diagnostic blood testing during pregnancy typically includes a complete blood count (A) to check for anemia and other conditions, rubella and varicella titers (B) to ensure immunity to these infections, testing for human immunodeficiency virus (C) to prevent mother-to-child transmission, determining blood type (D) to identify potential Rh incompatibility, and screening for sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia (E), gonorrhea (F), syphilis (G), and hepatitis (H) to prevent adverse outcomes for both the mother and the baby.

Question 13

A pregnant woman is 36 weeks pregnant. She comes to her health-care provider's office stating that she is having contractions. How will you assess for contractions? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The palmar surface and finger pads of the hands are sensitive and effective for assessing contractions.

Question 14

You are performing Leopold's Maneuver. Put in order the sequence of how you would perform this technique (1-4). (Enter the number of each step in the proper sequence. Do not use punctuation or spaces. Example: 1234.)
____1. Each side of the maternal abdomen is palpated to determine which side is the fetal spine and which is the extremities.
____2. The area above the symphysis pubis is palpated to locate the fetal presenting part and thus determine how far the fetus has descended and whether the fetus is engaged.
____3. The uterine fundus is palpated to determine which fetal part occupies the fundus.
____4. One hand applies pressure on the fundus while the index finger and thumb of the other hand palpate the presenting part to confirm presentation and engagement.

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are performing Leopold's Maneuver. Put in...

Question 15

Look at the picture. Identify this probable sign of pregnancy that indicates increased vascularity of the vagina and vulva. It is called ____________________ ____________________. (two words)

Accepted Answer

The answer of  Look at the picture. Identify this...

Quiz 21: Assessing the Pregnant Woman