NU 170 EXAM 1 – MATERNAL-CHILD NURSING GALEN COLLEGE | EXAM
PRACTICE | STUDY GUIDE | TESTBANK | PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS |
EXAM PREPARATION | ADVANCED REVIEW | LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027 |
COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM
Examiner:
Galen College of Nursing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Foundations of Maternal-Child Nursing
2. Family-Centered and Evidence-Based Care
3. Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology
4. Conception, Fertilization, and Embryonic Development
5. Prenatal Care and Health Promotion
6. Maternal Adaptations to Pregnancy
7. Nutrition During Pregnancy
8. Common Discomforts of Pregnancy
9. Prenatal Assessment and Diagnostic Testing
10. Patient Education, Communication, Ethics, and Safety
DESCRIPTION
This comprehensive practice resource is designed to help students prepare for NU 170
Exam 1 in Maternal-Child Nursing by reinforcing major concepts commonly
emphasized throughout introductory maternal-newborn nursing courses. The
questions are based on widely taught nursing principles, evidence-based practice,
standard nursing textbooks, and common subject areas found in nursing study guides
and classroom assessments. Learners will apply clinical reasoning, prioritize nursing
interventions, interpret assessment findings, and analyze patient-centered scenarios
involving pregnancy, prenatal care, fetal development, maternal adaptations,
nutrition, and ethical practice. These challenging practice questions are intended
solely as a study aid and are not actual examination questions. They provide an
opportunity to strengthen critical thinking, improve test readiness, and identify
knowledge gaps before taking a nursing course examination.
,QUESTION 1.
A nurse is educating a group of newly hired obstetric nurses about the philosophy
of family-centered maternity care. Which nursing action best reflects this approach?
A. Encouraging the family to participate in care planning according to the patient's
preferences
B. Limiting family involvement to visiting hours to reduce maternal fatigue
C. Directing all education exclusively to the pregnant patient
D. Prioritizing institutional routines over individual family preferences
🔴 Correct Answer: A. Encouraging the family to participate in care planning
according to the patient's preferences
🔵 Explanation: Family-centered maternity care recognizes the family as the primary
support system and encourages shared decision-making while respecting the patient's
autonomy. Restricting participation, excluding family members, or prioritizing
institutional convenience contradicts this philosophy.
QUESTION 2.
A pregnant client at 10 weeks' gestation asks why folic acid supplementation began
before conception. Which explanation by the nurse is most accurate?
A. It primarily prevents maternal anemia during the third trimester.
B. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects during early embryonic development.
C. It prevents gestational diabetes throughout pregnancy.
D. It accelerates fetal lung maturity during the first trimester.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects during early
embryonic development.
🔵 Explanation: Neural tube closure occurs within the first month after conception,
often before pregnancy is recognized. Adequate folic acid before conception and
during early pregnancy significantly decreases neural tube defects. The remaining
options describe outcomes not primarily associated with folic acid supplementation.
,QUESTION 3.
During a prenatal visit, a nurse identifies a client with multiple socioeconomic
barriers to healthcare. Which nursing intervention best demonstrates advocacy?
A. Documenting the barriers without discussing resources
B. Advising the client to postpone prenatal visits until insurance is approved
C. Connecting the client with available prenatal assistance programs and
community resources
D. Informing the client that limited resources are beyond the nurse's responsibility
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Connecting the client with available prenatal assistance
programs and community resources
🔵 Explanation: Advocacy includes identifying barriers to care and facilitating access
to appropriate healthcare resources. Merely documenting concerns or delaying care
fails to address the client's needs, while dismissing responsibility is inconsistent with
professional nursing practice.
QUESTION 4.
Which physiological maternal adaptation is primarily responsible for the increased
risk of urinary tract infections during pregnancy?
A. Increased glomerular filtration rate alone
B. Enhanced immune response against urinary pathogens
C. Increased ureteral tone and faster urine flow
D. Progesterone-induced relaxation of smooth muscle leading to urinary stasis
🔴 Correct Answer: D. Progesterone-induced relaxation of smooth muscle
leading to urinary stasis
🔵 Explanation: Progesterone relaxes smooth muscle throughout pregnancy,
decreasing ureteral peristalsis and promoting urinary stasis, which increases infection
risk. Although renal blood flow increases, urinary stasis remains the principal
contributing factor.
, QUESTION 5.
A nurse reviews prenatal laboratory findings. Which result requires the highest
priority follow-up?
A. Rubella immunity confirmed
B. Blood type O positive with negative antibody screen
C. Positive hepatitis B surface antigen result
D. Hemoglobin of 12.4 g/dL
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Positive hepatitis B surface antigen result
🔵 Explanation: A positive hepatitis B surface antigen indicates maternal infection
requiring coordinated prenatal management and neonatal prophylaxis immediately
after birth. The remaining findings are expected or reassuring and generally do not
require urgent intervention.
QUESTION 6.
A nurse is teaching about presumptive, probable, and positive signs of pregnancy.
Which finding represents a positive sign?
A. Amenorrhea
B. Chadwick's sign
C. Positive urine pregnancy test
D. Fetal heart tones detected by Doppler
🔴 Correct Answer: D. Fetal heart tones detected by Doppler
🔵 Explanation: Positive signs are directly attributable to the fetus, including fetal
heart tones, fetal movement palpated by an examiner, and visualization of the fetus
by ultrasound. Amenorrhea, cervical changes, and pregnancy tests are not definitive
because they may occur from other causes.
QUESTION 7.
PRACTICE | STUDY GUIDE | TESTBANK | PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS |
EXAM PREPARATION | ADVANCED REVIEW | LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027 |
COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM
Examiner:
Galen College of Nursing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Foundations of Maternal-Child Nursing
2. Family-Centered and Evidence-Based Care
3. Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology
4. Conception, Fertilization, and Embryonic Development
5. Prenatal Care and Health Promotion
6. Maternal Adaptations to Pregnancy
7. Nutrition During Pregnancy
8. Common Discomforts of Pregnancy
9. Prenatal Assessment and Diagnostic Testing
10. Patient Education, Communication, Ethics, and Safety
DESCRIPTION
This comprehensive practice resource is designed to help students prepare for NU 170
Exam 1 in Maternal-Child Nursing by reinforcing major concepts commonly
emphasized throughout introductory maternal-newborn nursing courses. The
questions are based on widely taught nursing principles, evidence-based practice,
standard nursing textbooks, and common subject areas found in nursing study guides
and classroom assessments. Learners will apply clinical reasoning, prioritize nursing
interventions, interpret assessment findings, and analyze patient-centered scenarios
involving pregnancy, prenatal care, fetal development, maternal adaptations,
nutrition, and ethical practice. These challenging practice questions are intended
solely as a study aid and are not actual examination questions. They provide an
opportunity to strengthen critical thinking, improve test readiness, and identify
knowledge gaps before taking a nursing course examination.
,QUESTION 1.
A nurse is educating a group of newly hired obstetric nurses about the philosophy
of family-centered maternity care. Which nursing action best reflects this approach?
A. Encouraging the family to participate in care planning according to the patient's
preferences
B. Limiting family involvement to visiting hours to reduce maternal fatigue
C. Directing all education exclusively to the pregnant patient
D. Prioritizing institutional routines over individual family preferences
🔴 Correct Answer: A. Encouraging the family to participate in care planning
according to the patient's preferences
🔵 Explanation: Family-centered maternity care recognizes the family as the primary
support system and encourages shared decision-making while respecting the patient's
autonomy. Restricting participation, excluding family members, or prioritizing
institutional convenience contradicts this philosophy.
QUESTION 2.
A pregnant client at 10 weeks' gestation asks why folic acid supplementation began
before conception. Which explanation by the nurse is most accurate?
A. It primarily prevents maternal anemia during the third trimester.
B. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects during early embryonic development.
C. It prevents gestational diabetes throughout pregnancy.
D. It accelerates fetal lung maturity during the first trimester.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects during early
embryonic development.
🔵 Explanation: Neural tube closure occurs within the first month after conception,
often before pregnancy is recognized. Adequate folic acid before conception and
during early pregnancy significantly decreases neural tube defects. The remaining
options describe outcomes not primarily associated with folic acid supplementation.
,QUESTION 3.
During a prenatal visit, a nurse identifies a client with multiple socioeconomic
barriers to healthcare. Which nursing intervention best demonstrates advocacy?
A. Documenting the barriers without discussing resources
B. Advising the client to postpone prenatal visits until insurance is approved
C. Connecting the client with available prenatal assistance programs and
community resources
D. Informing the client that limited resources are beyond the nurse's responsibility
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Connecting the client with available prenatal assistance
programs and community resources
🔵 Explanation: Advocacy includes identifying barriers to care and facilitating access
to appropriate healthcare resources. Merely documenting concerns or delaying care
fails to address the client's needs, while dismissing responsibility is inconsistent with
professional nursing practice.
QUESTION 4.
Which physiological maternal adaptation is primarily responsible for the increased
risk of urinary tract infections during pregnancy?
A. Increased glomerular filtration rate alone
B. Enhanced immune response against urinary pathogens
C. Increased ureteral tone and faster urine flow
D. Progesterone-induced relaxation of smooth muscle leading to urinary stasis
🔴 Correct Answer: D. Progesterone-induced relaxation of smooth muscle
leading to urinary stasis
🔵 Explanation: Progesterone relaxes smooth muscle throughout pregnancy,
decreasing ureteral peristalsis and promoting urinary stasis, which increases infection
risk. Although renal blood flow increases, urinary stasis remains the principal
contributing factor.
, QUESTION 5.
A nurse reviews prenatal laboratory findings. Which result requires the highest
priority follow-up?
A. Rubella immunity confirmed
B. Blood type O positive with negative antibody screen
C. Positive hepatitis B surface antigen result
D. Hemoglobin of 12.4 g/dL
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Positive hepatitis B surface antigen result
🔵 Explanation: A positive hepatitis B surface antigen indicates maternal infection
requiring coordinated prenatal management and neonatal prophylaxis immediately
after birth. The remaining findings are expected or reassuring and generally do not
require urgent intervention.
QUESTION 6.
A nurse is teaching about presumptive, probable, and positive signs of pregnancy.
Which finding represents a positive sign?
A. Amenorrhea
B. Chadwick's sign
C. Positive urine pregnancy test
D. Fetal heart tones detected by Doppler
🔴 Correct Answer: D. Fetal heart tones detected by Doppler
🔵 Explanation: Positive signs are directly attributable to the fetus, including fetal
heart tones, fetal movement palpated by an examiner, and visualization of the fetus
by ultrasound. Amenorrhea, cervical changes, and pregnancy tests are not definitive
because they may occur from other causes.
QUESTION 7.
