HESI MATERNITY TEST BANK REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES GRADED A+.

HESI MATERNITY TEST BANK REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+. Maternity & Women’s Health Care MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. What is the most likely cause for early decelerations in the fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern? a. Altered fetal cerebral blood flow b. Umbilical cord compression c. Uteroplacental insufficiency d. Spontaneous rupture of membranes ANSWER:A Early decelerations are the fetus’ response to fetal head compression; these are considered benign, and interventions are not necessary. Variable decelerations are associated with umbilical cord compression. Late decelerations are associated with uteroplacental insufficiency. Spontaneous rupture of membranes has no bearing on the FHR unless the umbilical cord prolapses, which would result in variable or prolonged bradycardia. 2. Which clinical finding or intervention might be considered the rationale for fetal tachycardia to occur? a. Maternal fever b. Umbilical cord prolapse c. Regional anesthesia d. Magnesium sulfate administration ANSWER:A RATIONALES Fetal tachycardia can be considered an early sign of fetal hypoxemia and may also result from maternal or fetal infection. Umbilical cord prolapse, regional anesthesia, and the administration of magnesium sulfate will each more likely result in fetal bradycardia, not tachycardia. 3. While evaluating an external monitor tracing of a woman in active labor, the nurse notes that the FHR for five sequential contractions begins to decelerate late in the contraction, with the nadir of the decelerations occurring after the peak of the contraction. What is the nurse’s first priority? a. Change the woman’s position. b. Notify the health care provider. c. Assist with amnioinfusion d. Insert a scalp electrode. ANSWER:A RATIONALES Late FHR decelerations may be caused by maternal supine hypotension syndrome. These decelerations are usually corrected when the woman turns onto her side to displace the weight of the gravid uterus from the vena cava. If the fetus does not respond to primary nursing interventions for late decelerations, then the nurse should continue with subsequent intrauterine resuscitation measures and notify the health care provider. An amnioinfusion may be used to relieve pressure on an umbilical cord that has not prolapsed. The FHR pattern associated with this situation most likely will reveal variable decelerations. Although a fetal scalp electrode will provide accurate data for evaluating the well-being of the fetus, it is not a nursing intervention that will alleviate late decelerations nor is it the nurse’s first priority. 4. What is the most likely cause for variable FHR decelerations? a. Altered fetal cerebral blood flow b. Umbilical cord compression c. Uteroplacental insufficiency d. Fetal hypoxemia ANSWER:B RATIONALES Variable FHR decelerations can occur at any time during the uterine contracting phase and are caused by compression of the umbilical cord. Altered fetal cerebral blood flow results in early decelerations in the FHR. Uteroplacental insufficiency results in late decelerations in the FHR. Fetal hypoxemia initially results in tachycardia and then bradycardia if hypoxia continues. 5. The nurse providing care for a high-risk laboring woman is alert for late FHR decelerations. Which clinical finding might be the cause for these late decelerations? a. Altered cerebral blood flow b. Umbilical cord compression c. Uteroplacental insufficiency d. Meconium fluid ANSWER:C RATIONALES Uteroplacental insufficiency results in late FHR decelerations. Altered fetal cerebral blood flow results in early FHR decelerations. Umbilical cord compression results in variable FHR decelerations. Meconium-stained fluid may or may not produce changes in the FHR, depending on the gestational age of the fetus and whether other causative factors associated with fetal distress are present. 6. Which alteration in the FHR pattern would indicate the potential need for an amnioinfusion? a. Variable decelerations b. Late decelerations c. Fetal bradycardia d. Fetal tachycardia ANSWER:A RATIONALES Amnioinfusion is used during labor to either dilute meconium-stained amniotic fluid or supplement the amount of amniotic fluid to reduce the severity of variable FHR decelerations caused by cord compression. Late decelerations are unresponsive to amnioinfusion. Amnioinfusion is not appropriate for the treatment of fetal bradycardia and has no bearing on fetal tachycardia. 7. Which FHR finding is the most concerning to the nurse who is providing care to a laboring client? a. Accelerations with fetal movement b. Early decelerations c. Average FHR of 126 beats per minute d. Late decelerations ANSWER:D RATIONALES Late decelerations are caused by uteroplacental insufficiency and are associated with fetal hypoxemia. Late FHR decelerations are considered ominous if they are persistent and left uncorrected. Accelerations with fetal movement are an indication of fetal well-being. Early decelerations in the FHR are associated with head compression as the fetus descends into the maternal pelvic outlet; they are not generally a concern during normal labor. An FHR finding of 126 beats per minute is normal and not a concern. 8. What three measures should the nurse implement to provide intrauterine resuscitation? a. Call the provider, reposition the mother, and perform a vaginal examination. b. Turn the client onto her side, provide oxygen (O2) via face mask, and increase intravenous (IV) fluids. c. Administer O2 to the mother, increase IV fluids, and notify the health care provider. d. Perform a vaginal examination, reposition the mother, and provide O2 via face mask. ANSWER:B RATIONALES Basic interventions for the management of any abnormal FHR pattern include administering O2 via a nonrebreather face mask at a rate of 8 to 10 L/min, assisting the woman onto a side-lying (lateral) position, and increasing blood volume by increasing the rate of the primary IV infusion. The purpose of these interventions is to improve uterine blood flow and intervillous space blood flow and to increase maternal oxygenation and cardiac output. The term intrauterine resuscitation is sometimes used to refer to these interventions. If these interventions do not quickly resolve the abnormal FHR issue, then the primary provider should be immediately notified. 9. The nurse who provides care to clients in labor must have a thorough understanding of the physiologic processes of maternal hypotension. Which outcome might occur if the interventions for maternal hypotension are inadequate? a. Early FHR decelerations b. Fetal arrhythmias c. Uteroplacental insufficiency d. Spontaneous rupture of membranes ANSWER:C RATIONALES Low maternal blood pressure reduces placental blood flow during uterine contractions, resulting in fetal hypoxemia. Maternal hypotension does not result in early FHR decelerations nor is it associated with fetal arrhythmias. Spontaneous rupture of membranes is not a result of maternal hypotension. 10. What are the legal responsibilities of the perinatal nurses? a. Correctly interpreting FHR patterns, initiating appropriate nursing interventions, and documenting the outcomes b. Greeting the client on arrival, assessing her status, and starting an IV line c. Applying the external fetal monitor and notifying the health care provider d. Ensuring that the woman is comfortable ANSWER:A RATIONALES Nurses who care for women during childbirth are legally responsible for correctly interpreting FHR patterns, initiating appropriate nursing interventions based on those patterns, and documenting the outcomes of those interventions. Greeting the client on arrival, assessing her, and starting an IV line are activities that should be performed when any client arrives to the maternity unit. The nurse is not the only one legally responsible for performing these functions. Applying the external fetal monitor and notifying the health care provider is a nursing function that is part of the standard of care for all obstetric clients and falls within the registered nurse’s scope of practice. Everyone caring for the pregnant woman should ensure that both she and her support partner are comfortable. 11. The perinatal nurse realizes that an FHR that is tachycardic, bradycardic, has late decelerations, or loss of variability is nonreassuring and is associated with which condition? a. Hypotension b. Cord compression c. Maternal drug use d. Hypoxemia ANSWER:D RATIONALES Nonreassuring FHR patterns are associated with fetal hypoxemia. Fetal bradycardia may be associated with maternal hypotension. Variable FHR decelerations are associated with cord compression. Maternal drug use is associated with fetal tachycardia. 12. A new client and her partner arrive on the labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum (LDRP) unit for the birth of their first child. The nurse applies the electronic fetal monitor (EFM) to the woman. Her partner asks you to explain what is printing on the graph, referring to the EFM strip. He wants to know what the baby’s heart rate should be. What is the nurse’s best response? a. “Don’t worry about that machine; that’s my job.” b. “The baby’s heart rate will fluctuate in response to what is happening during labor.” c. “The top line graphs the baby’s heart rate, and the bottom line lets me know how strong the contractions are.” d. “Your physician will explain all of that later.” ANSWER:B RATIONALES Explaining what indicates a normal FHR teaches the partner about fetal monitoring and provides support and information to alleviate his fears. Telling the partner not to worry discredits his feelings and does not provide the teaching he is requesting. Telling the partner that the graph indicates how strong the contractions are provides inaccurate information and does not address the partner’s concerns about the FHR. The EFM graphs the frequency and duration of the contractions, not their intensity. Nurses should take every opportunity to provide teaching to the client and her family, especially when information is requested. 13. Which statement best describes a normal uterine activity pattern in labor? a. Contractions every 2 to 5 minutes b. Contractions lasting approximately 2 minutes c. Contractions approximately 1 minute apart d. Contraction intensity of approximately 500 mm Hg with relaxation at 50 mm Hg ANSWER:A RATIONALES Overall contraction frequency generally ranges from two to five contractions per 10 minutes of labor, with lower frequencies during the first stage and higher frequencies observed during the second stage. Contraction duration remains fairly stable throughout the first and second stages, ranging from 45 to 80 seconds, generally not exceeding 90 seconds. Contractions 1 minute apart are occurring too often and would be considered an abnormal labor pattern. The intensity of uterine contractions generally ranges from 25 to 50 mm Hg in the first stage of labor and may rise to more than 80 mm Hg in the second stage. 14. The nurse is using intermittent auscultation (IA) to locate the fetal heartbeat. Which statement regarding this method of surveillance is accurate?