HESI OBSTETRICS/MATERNITY ASSIGNMENT EXAM – PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
CORE DOMAINS
• Antepartum Care and Fetal Development
• Intrapartum Nursing Management
• Postpartum Complications and Recovery
• Neonatal Assessment and Newborn Care
• Pharmacological Interventions in Obstetrics
• High-Risk Maternity and Reproductive Complications
• Ethical, Legal, and Professional Standards in Maternal-Child Health
• Gestational Comorbidities and Nutritional Counseling
INTRODUCTION
The HESI Obstetrics/Maternity Assignment Exam is designed to evaluate the clinical proficiency and theoretical
knowledge of nursing students in the specialized field of maternal-newborn health. This comprehensive
assessment focuses on the transition from conception through the postpartum period, emphasizing the safety of
both the mother and the neonate. The exam utilizes a blend of foundational multiple-choice questions and
complex, scenario-based items to simulate real-world clinical decision-making. Candidates are assessed on their
ability to apply critical thinking to high-risk situations, interpret fetal heart rate patterns, and manage
pharmacological protocols. By bridging the gap between classroom theory and bedside practice, this exam
ensures that future healthcare professionals maintain the highest standards of evidence-based care and
regulatory compliance in obstetric nursing.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
, 1. A nurse is assessing a pregnant client at 30 weeks gestation who reports sudden, painless vaginal
bleeding. What should be the nurse's first action?
A. Perform a vaginal examination to check for dilation
B. Assess fetal heart rate and maternal vital signs
C. Encourage the client to walk to stimulate circulation
D. Administer oxytocin to control the bleeding
🟢 B. Assess fetal heart rate and maternal vital signs
🔴 RATIONALE: Painless vaginal bleeding is a classic sign of placenta previa. A vaginal exam is strictly
contraindicated as it can cause hemorrhage. Assessing the status of the mother and fetus is the priority.
2. A client in the first trimester of pregnancy asks the nurse why she is taking folic acid. The nurse explains
that this supplement prevents:
A. Maternal anemia
B. Macrosomia
C. Neural tube defects
D. Gestational diabetes
🟢 C. Neural tube defects
🔴 RATIONALE: Folic acid is essential for the proper development of the fetal central nervous system and
significantly reduces the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.
3. Which of the following fetal heart rate patterns is most indicative of uteroplacental insufficiency?
,A. Early decelerations
B. Accelerations
C. Late decelerations
D. Brief variable decelerations
🟢 C. Late decelerations
🔴 RATIONALE: Late decelerations are caused by uteroplacental insufficiency and represent fetal hypoxia. This
is a non-reassuring sign that requires immediate intervention.
4. A nurse is caring for a client with preeclampsia who is receiving magnesium sulfate. Which finding should
the nurse report immediately?
A. Deep tendon reflexes 2+
B. Respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute
C. Urine output of 40 mL per hour
D. Feeling of warmth and flushing
🟢 B. Respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute
🔴 RATIONALE: Magnesium sulfate is a CNS depressant. A respiratory rate below 12 indicates magnesium
toxicity, requiring immediate cessation of the infusion and administration of calcium gluconate.
5. A postpartum client who is breastfeeding complains of nipple soreness. Which intervention should the
nurse recommend?
A. Apply soap to the nipples during daily showers
B. Use a firm plastic nipple shield during all feedings
, C. Ensure the infant is latched onto the areola, not just the nipple
D. Limit feedings to five minutes per breast
🟢 C. Ensure the infant is latched onto the areola, not just the nipple
🔴 RATIONALE: Proper latching is the most effective way to prevent and treat nipple soreness. Soap should be
avoided as it dries the tissue.
6. During a prenatal visit, a client at 36 weeks gestation reports feeling dizzy and lightheaded when lying on
her back. The nurse identifies this as:
A. Orthostatic hypotension
B. Vena cava syndrome
C. Preeclampsia
D. Normal third-trimester fatigue
🟢 B. Vena cava syndrome
🔴 RATIONALE: Supine hypotensive syndrome, or vena cava syndrome, occurs when the heavy uterus
compresses the inferior vena cava, reducing preload and cardiac output.
7. Which medication is typically administered to the newborn within one hour of birth to prevent ophthalmia
neonatorum?
A. Vitamin K
B. Hepatitis B vaccine
C. Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment
D. Nystatin suspension
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
CORE DOMAINS
• Antepartum Care and Fetal Development
• Intrapartum Nursing Management
• Postpartum Complications and Recovery
• Neonatal Assessment and Newborn Care
• Pharmacological Interventions in Obstetrics
• High-Risk Maternity and Reproductive Complications
• Ethical, Legal, and Professional Standards in Maternal-Child Health
• Gestational Comorbidities and Nutritional Counseling
INTRODUCTION
The HESI Obstetrics/Maternity Assignment Exam is designed to evaluate the clinical proficiency and theoretical
knowledge of nursing students in the specialized field of maternal-newborn health. This comprehensive
assessment focuses on the transition from conception through the postpartum period, emphasizing the safety of
both the mother and the neonate. The exam utilizes a blend of foundational multiple-choice questions and
complex, scenario-based items to simulate real-world clinical decision-making. Candidates are assessed on their
ability to apply critical thinking to high-risk situations, interpret fetal heart rate patterns, and manage
pharmacological protocols. By bridging the gap between classroom theory and bedside practice, this exam
ensures that future healthcare professionals maintain the highest standards of evidence-based care and
regulatory compliance in obstetric nursing.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
, 1. A nurse is assessing a pregnant client at 30 weeks gestation who reports sudden, painless vaginal
bleeding. What should be the nurse's first action?
A. Perform a vaginal examination to check for dilation
B. Assess fetal heart rate and maternal vital signs
C. Encourage the client to walk to stimulate circulation
D. Administer oxytocin to control the bleeding
🟢 B. Assess fetal heart rate and maternal vital signs
🔴 RATIONALE: Painless vaginal bleeding is a classic sign of placenta previa. A vaginal exam is strictly
contraindicated as it can cause hemorrhage. Assessing the status of the mother and fetus is the priority.
2. A client in the first trimester of pregnancy asks the nurse why she is taking folic acid. The nurse explains
that this supplement prevents:
A. Maternal anemia
B. Macrosomia
C. Neural tube defects
D. Gestational diabetes
🟢 C. Neural tube defects
🔴 RATIONALE: Folic acid is essential for the proper development of the fetal central nervous system and
significantly reduces the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.
3. Which of the following fetal heart rate patterns is most indicative of uteroplacental insufficiency?
,A. Early decelerations
B. Accelerations
C. Late decelerations
D. Brief variable decelerations
🟢 C. Late decelerations
🔴 RATIONALE: Late decelerations are caused by uteroplacental insufficiency and represent fetal hypoxia. This
is a non-reassuring sign that requires immediate intervention.
4. A nurse is caring for a client with preeclampsia who is receiving magnesium sulfate. Which finding should
the nurse report immediately?
A. Deep tendon reflexes 2+
B. Respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute
C. Urine output of 40 mL per hour
D. Feeling of warmth and flushing
🟢 B. Respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute
🔴 RATIONALE: Magnesium sulfate is a CNS depressant. A respiratory rate below 12 indicates magnesium
toxicity, requiring immediate cessation of the infusion and administration of calcium gluconate.
5. A postpartum client who is breastfeeding complains of nipple soreness. Which intervention should the
nurse recommend?
A. Apply soap to the nipples during daily showers
B. Use a firm plastic nipple shield during all feedings
, C. Ensure the infant is latched onto the areola, not just the nipple
D. Limit feedings to five minutes per breast
🟢 C. Ensure the infant is latched onto the areola, not just the nipple
🔴 RATIONALE: Proper latching is the most effective way to prevent and treat nipple soreness. Soap should be
avoided as it dries the tissue.
6. During a prenatal visit, a client at 36 weeks gestation reports feeling dizzy and lightheaded when lying on
her back. The nurse identifies this as:
A. Orthostatic hypotension
B. Vena cava syndrome
C. Preeclampsia
D. Normal third-trimester fatigue
🟢 B. Vena cava syndrome
🔴 RATIONALE: Supine hypotensive syndrome, or vena cava syndrome, occurs when the heavy uterus
compresses the inferior vena cava, reducing preload and cardiac output.
7. Which medication is typically administered to the newborn within one hour of birth to prevent ophthalmia
neonatorum?
A. Vitamin K
B. Hepatitis B vaccine
C. Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment
D. Nystatin suspension
