NCLEX MATERNITY EXAM QOX 2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The nurse is preparing to teach a prenatal class about fetal circulation. Which statements would
be included in the teaching plan? Select all that apply.
A. "The ductus arteriosus allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs."
B. "One vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the foetus."
C. "The normal fetal heartbeat range is 160 to 180 beats per minute in pregnancy."
D. "Two arteries carry deoxygenated blood and waste products away from the foetus to the
placenta."
E. "Two veins carry blood that is high in carbon dioxide and other waste products away from the
foetus to the placenta."
A, B, D
A. "The ductus arteriosus allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs."
B. "One vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the foetus."
D. "Two arteries carry deoxygenated blood and waste products away from the foetus to the
placenta."
The ductus arteriosus is a unique fetal circulation structure that allows blood to bypass the
nonfunctioning fetal lungs. Oxygenated blood is transported to the foetus by one umbilical vein.
The normal fetal heartbeat range is considered to be 110 to 160 beats per minute. Two arteries
carry deoxygenated blood and waste products from the foetus, and one umbilical vein carries
oxygenated blood and provides oxygen and nutrients to the foetus. Blood pumped by the
embryo's heart leaves the embryo through two umbilical arteries.
The nursing instructor teaches a group of students about fetal circulation and then asks a
student to describe fetal circulation, specically the ductus venosus. Which statement by the
student indicates an understanding of the ductus venosus?
,A. "It connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta."
B. "It is an opening between the right and left atria."
C. "It connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava."
D. "It connects the umbilical artery to the inferior vena cava."
C. "It connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava."
The ductus venosus connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava. The foramen ovale is a
temporary opening between the right and left atria. The ductus arteriosus joins the aorta and
the pulmonary artery.
A pregnant client tells the clinic nurse that they want to know the sex of the baby as soon as it
can be determined. The nurse plans to inform the client that they will be able to find out the sex
at 16 weeks' gestation because of which factor?
A. The appearance of the fetal external genitalia.
B. The beginning of differentiation in the fetal groin.
C. The fetal testes are descended into the scrotal sac.
D. The internal differences in different genders become apparent.
A. The appearance of the fetal external genitalia.
Between weeks 16 and 20, the external genitalia of the foetus have developed to such a degree
that the sex of the foetus can be determined visually. Differentiation of the external genitalia
occurs at the end of the ninth week. Testes begin to descend into the scrotal sac at the end of
the 38th week. Internal differences in the genders occur at the end of the seventh week.
The nurse is performing an assessment on a client who is at 38 weeks' gestation and notes that
the fetal heart rate (FHR) is 174 beats per minute. On the basis of this finding, what is the
priority nursing action?
, A. Document the finding.
B. Notify the obstetrician (OB).
C. Check the mother's heart rate.
D. Tell the client that the fetal heart rate is normal.
B. Notify the obstetrician (OB).
The FHR depends on gestational age and ranges from 160 to 170 beats per minute in the first
trimester but slows with fetal growth to 110 to 160 beats per minute. If the FHR is less than 110
beats per minute or more than 160 beats per minute with the uterus at rest, the foetus may be
in distress. Because the FHR is increased from the reference range, the nurse would notify the
OB. Options 3 and 4 are inappropriate actions based on the information in the question.
Although the nurse documents the findings, based on the information in the question, the OB
needs to be notified.
The nurse is conducting a prenatal class on the re- productive system. When a client in the class
asks why the fertilized ovum stays in the fallopian tube for 3 days, what is the nurse's best
response?
A. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's chances of survival."
B. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's exposure to estrogen and progesterone."
C. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's normal implantation in the top portion of the uterus."
D. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's exposure to luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating
hormone."
C. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's normal implantation in the top portion of the uterus."
The tubal isthmus remains contracted until 3 days after conception to allow the fertilized ovum
to develop within the tube. This initial growth of the fertilized ovum promotes its normal
implantation in the fundal portion of the uterine corpus. Estrogen is a hormone produced by
the ovarian follicles, corpus luteum, adrenal cortex, and placenta during pregnancy.
Progesterone is a hormone secreted by the corpus luteum of the ovary, adrenal glands, and
The nurse is preparing to teach a prenatal class about fetal circulation. Which statements would
be included in the teaching plan? Select all that apply.
A. "The ductus arteriosus allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs."
B. "One vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the foetus."
C. "The normal fetal heartbeat range is 160 to 180 beats per minute in pregnancy."
D. "Two arteries carry deoxygenated blood and waste products away from the foetus to the
placenta."
E. "Two veins carry blood that is high in carbon dioxide and other waste products away from the
foetus to the placenta."
A, B, D
A. "The ductus arteriosus allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs."
B. "One vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the foetus."
D. "Two arteries carry deoxygenated blood and waste products away from the foetus to the
placenta."
The ductus arteriosus is a unique fetal circulation structure that allows blood to bypass the
nonfunctioning fetal lungs. Oxygenated blood is transported to the foetus by one umbilical vein.
The normal fetal heartbeat range is considered to be 110 to 160 beats per minute. Two arteries
carry deoxygenated blood and waste products from the foetus, and one umbilical vein carries
oxygenated blood and provides oxygen and nutrients to the foetus. Blood pumped by the
embryo's heart leaves the embryo through two umbilical arteries.
The nursing instructor teaches a group of students about fetal circulation and then asks a
student to describe fetal circulation, specically the ductus venosus. Which statement by the
student indicates an understanding of the ductus venosus?
,A. "It connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta."
B. "It is an opening between the right and left atria."
C. "It connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava."
D. "It connects the umbilical artery to the inferior vena cava."
C. "It connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava."
The ductus venosus connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava. The foramen ovale is a
temporary opening between the right and left atria. The ductus arteriosus joins the aorta and
the pulmonary artery.
A pregnant client tells the clinic nurse that they want to know the sex of the baby as soon as it
can be determined. The nurse plans to inform the client that they will be able to find out the sex
at 16 weeks' gestation because of which factor?
A. The appearance of the fetal external genitalia.
B. The beginning of differentiation in the fetal groin.
C. The fetal testes are descended into the scrotal sac.
D. The internal differences in different genders become apparent.
A. The appearance of the fetal external genitalia.
Between weeks 16 and 20, the external genitalia of the foetus have developed to such a degree
that the sex of the foetus can be determined visually. Differentiation of the external genitalia
occurs at the end of the ninth week. Testes begin to descend into the scrotal sac at the end of
the 38th week. Internal differences in the genders occur at the end of the seventh week.
The nurse is performing an assessment on a client who is at 38 weeks' gestation and notes that
the fetal heart rate (FHR) is 174 beats per minute. On the basis of this finding, what is the
priority nursing action?
, A. Document the finding.
B. Notify the obstetrician (OB).
C. Check the mother's heart rate.
D. Tell the client that the fetal heart rate is normal.
B. Notify the obstetrician (OB).
The FHR depends on gestational age and ranges from 160 to 170 beats per minute in the first
trimester but slows with fetal growth to 110 to 160 beats per minute. If the FHR is less than 110
beats per minute or more than 160 beats per minute with the uterus at rest, the foetus may be
in distress. Because the FHR is increased from the reference range, the nurse would notify the
OB. Options 3 and 4 are inappropriate actions based on the information in the question.
Although the nurse documents the findings, based on the information in the question, the OB
needs to be notified.
The nurse is conducting a prenatal class on the re- productive system. When a client in the class
asks why the fertilized ovum stays in the fallopian tube for 3 days, what is the nurse's best
response?
A. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's chances of survival."
B. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's exposure to estrogen and progesterone."
C. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's normal implantation in the top portion of the uterus."
D. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's exposure to luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating
hormone."
C. "It promotes the fertilized ovum's normal implantation in the top portion of the uterus."
The tubal isthmus remains contracted until 3 days after conception to allow the fertilized ovum
to develop within the tube. This initial growth of the fertilized ovum promotes its normal
implantation in the fundal portion of the uterine corpus. Estrogen is a hormone produced by
the ovarian follicles, corpus luteum, adrenal cortex, and placenta during pregnancy.
Progesterone is a hormone secreted by the corpus luteum of the ovary, adrenal glands, and
