HESI OBSTETRICS/MATERNITY Question and
Answer [2026] | UPDATED ACTUAL Exam |
Final Review
• When explaining "postpartum blues" to a client who is 1 day postpartum, which
symptoms should the nurse include in the teaching plan? (Select all that apply.)
a. Mood swings
b. Panic attacks
c. Tearfulness
d. Decreased need for sleep
e. Disinterest in the infant -✓✓ a. Mood swings
c. Tearfulness
"Postpartum blues" is a common emotional response related to the rapid decrease
in placental hormones after delivery and include mood swings (A), tearfulness (C),
feeling low, emotional, and fatigued.
• A client at 30-weeks gestation, complaining of pressure over the pubic area, is
admitted for observation. She is contracting irregularly and demonstrates
underlying uterine irritability. Vaginal examination reveals that her cervix is
closed, thick, and high. Based on these data, which intervention should the nurse
implement first?
a. Provide oral hydration
b. Have a complete blood count (CBC) drawn
c. Obtain a specimen for urine analysis
d. Place the client on strict bedrest -✓✓ c. Obtain a specimen for urine analysis
,Obtaining a urine analysis (C) should be done first because preterm clients with
uterine irritability and contractions are often suffering from a urinary tract
infection, and this should be ruled out first.
• A client in active labor complains of cramps in her leg. What intervention should
the nurse implement?
a. Ask the client if she takes a daily calcium tablet
b. Extend the leg and dorsiflex the foot
c. Lower the leg off the side of the bed
d. Elevate the leg above the heart -✓✓ b. Extend the leg and dorsiflex the foot
Dorsiflexing the foot by puching the sole of the foot forward or by stnading (if the
client is capable) (B), and putting the heel of the foot on the floor is the best means
of relieving leg cramps.
• The nurse is caring for a woman with a previously diagnosed heart disease who is
in the second stage of labor. Which assessment findings are of greatest concern?
a. edema, basilar rales, and an irregular pulse
b. Increased urinary output, and tachycardia
c. Shortness of breath, bradycardia, and hypertension
d. Regular heart rate, and hypertension -✓✓ a. Edema, basilar rales, and an
irregular pulse
Edema, basilar rales, and an irregular pulse (A) indicate cardiac decompensation
and require immediate intervention.
• The nurse is teaching a woman how to use her basal body temperature (BBT)
pattern as a tool to assist her in conceiving a child. Which temperature pattern
, indicates the occurrence of ovulation, and therefor, the best time for intercourse to
ensure conception?
a. Between the time the temperature falls and rises
b. Between 36 and 48 hours after the temperature rises
c. When the temperature falls and remains low for 36 hours
d. Within 72 hours before the temperature falls -✓✓ a. Between the time the
temperature falls and rises
In most women, the BBT drops slightly 24 to 36 hours before ovulation and rises
24 to 72 hours after ovulation, when the corpus luteum of the ruptured ovary
produces progesterone. Therefore, intercourse between the time of the temperature
fall and rise (A) is the best time for conception.
• A client who is in the second trimester of pregnancy tells the nurse that she wants
to use herbal therapy. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?
a. Herbs are a corner stone of good health to include in your treatment
b. Touch is also therapeutic in relieving discomfort and anxiety
c. Your healthcare provider should direct treatment options for herbal therapy
d. It is important that you want to take part in your care -✓✓ d. It is important that
you want to take part in your care
The emphasis of alternative and complementary therapies, such as herbal therapy,
is that the client is viewed as a whole being, capable of decision-making and an
integral part of the health care team, so (D) recognizes the client's request.
• A mother who is breastfeeding her baby receives instructions from the nurse.
Which instruction is most effective to prevent nipple soreness?
a. Wear a cotton bra
Answer [2026] | UPDATED ACTUAL Exam |
Final Review
• When explaining "postpartum blues" to a client who is 1 day postpartum, which
symptoms should the nurse include in the teaching plan? (Select all that apply.)
a. Mood swings
b. Panic attacks
c. Tearfulness
d. Decreased need for sleep
e. Disinterest in the infant -✓✓ a. Mood swings
c. Tearfulness
"Postpartum blues" is a common emotional response related to the rapid decrease
in placental hormones after delivery and include mood swings (A), tearfulness (C),
feeling low, emotional, and fatigued.
• A client at 30-weeks gestation, complaining of pressure over the pubic area, is
admitted for observation. She is contracting irregularly and demonstrates
underlying uterine irritability. Vaginal examination reveals that her cervix is
closed, thick, and high. Based on these data, which intervention should the nurse
implement first?
a. Provide oral hydration
b. Have a complete blood count (CBC) drawn
c. Obtain a specimen for urine analysis
d. Place the client on strict bedrest -✓✓ c. Obtain a specimen for urine analysis
,Obtaining a urine analysis (C) should be done first because preterm clients with
uterine irritability and contractions are often suffering from a urinary tract
infection, and this should be ruled out first.
• A client in active labor complains of cramps in her leg. What intervention should
the nurse implement?
a. Ask the client if she takes a daily calcium tablet
b. Extend the leg and dorsiflex the foot
c. Lower the leg off the side of the bed
d. Elevate the leg above the heart -✓✓ b. Extend the leg and dorsiflex the foot
Dorsiflexing the foot by puching the sole of the foot forward or by stnading (if the
client is capable) (B), and putting the heel of the foot on the floor is the best means
of relieving leg cramps.
• The nurse is caring for a woman with a previously diagnosed heart disease who is
in the second stage of labor. Which assessment findings are of greatest concern?
a. edema, basilar rales, and an irregular pulse
b. Increased urinary output, and tachycardia
c. Shortness of breath, bradycardia, and hypertension
d. Regular heart rate, and hypertension -✓✓ a. Edema, basilar rales, and an
irregular pulse
Edema, basilar rales, and an irregular pulse (A) indicate cardiac decompensation
and require immediate intervention.
• The nurse is teaching a woman how to use her basal body temperature (BBT)
pattern as a tool to assist her in conceiving a child. Which temperature pattern
, indicates the occurrence of ovulation, and therefor, the best time for intercourse to
ensure conception?
a. Between the time the temperature falls and rises
b. Between 36 and 48 hours after the temperature rises
c. When the temperature falls and remains low for 36 hours
d. Within 72 hours before the temperature falls -✓✓ a. Between the time the
temperature falls and rises
In most women, the BBT drops slightly 24 to 36 hours before ovulation and rises
24 to 72 hours after ovulation, when the corpus luteum of the ruptured ovary
produces progesterone. Therefore, intercourse between the time of the temperature
fall and rise (A) is the best time for conception.
• A client who is in the second trimester of pregnancy tells the nurse that she wants
to use herbal therapy. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?
a. Herbs are a corner stone of good health to include in your treatment
b. Touch is also therapeutic in relieving discomfort and anxiety
c. Your healthcare provider should direct treatment options for herbal therapy
d. It is important that you want to take part in your care -✓✓ d. It is important that
you want to take part in your care
The emphasis of alternative and complementary therapies, such as herbal therapy,
is that the client is viewed as a whole being, capable of decision-making and an
integral part of the health care team, so (D) recognizes the client's request.
• A mother who is breastfeeding her baby receives instructions from the nurse.
Which instruction is most effective to prevent nipple soreness?
a. Wear a cotton bra