HESI OB EXAM GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
A client at 8-weeks gestation ask the nurse about the risk for congenital heart defect
(CHD) in her baby. Which response best explains when a CHD may occur?
A. They usually occur in the first trimester pregnancy.
B. The heart develops in the third to fifth weeks after conception.
C. It depends on what the causative factors are for a CHD.
D. We don't really know what or when CHDs occur. - Answer-B. The heart develops in
the third to fifth weeks after conception.
The nurse prepares to administer an injection of vitamin K to a newborn infant. The
mother tells the nurse, "Wait! I don't want my baby to have a shot." Which response
would be best for the nurse to make?
A. Inform the mother that the injection was prescribed by the healthcare provider.
B. Explore the mother's concern about the infant receiving an injection of vitamin K.
C. Remind the mother that all babies receive the shot and it is relatively painless.
D. Explain that vitamin K is required by state law and compliance is mandatory. -
Answer-B. Explore the mother's concern about the infant receiving an injection of
vitamin K.
The nurse is teaching a new mother about diet and breastfeeding. Which instruction is
most important to include in the teaching plan?
A. Double prenatal milk intake to improve vitamin D transfer to the infant.
B. Increase caloric intake by approximately 500 calories/day.
C. Avoid spicy foods to prevent infant colic.
D. Avoid alcohol because it is excreted in breast milk. - Answer-D. Avoid alcohol
because it is excreted in breast milk.
Which nursing intervention best enhances maternal-infant bonding during the fourth
stage of labor?
A. Brighten the lighting so the mother can view the infant.
B. Provide positive reinforcement for maternal care of infant.
C. Complete a newborn assessment as quickly as possible.
D. Encourage early initiation of breast or formula feeding. - Answer-D. Encourage early
initiation of breast or formula feeding.
,A client at 8-months gestation tells the nurse that she knows her baby listens to her, but
her husband thinks she is imagining things. What information should the nurse provide?
A. The interaction between the mother's voice and the fetus's response ensures
bonding.
B. The healthcare provider should address her concerns about her baby's hearing
function.
C. The fetus in utero is capable of hearing and does respond to the mother's voice.
D. Many women imagine what their baby is like by interpreting fetal movements. -
Answer-C. The fetus in utero is capable of hearing and does respond to the mother's
voice.
A client at 25-weeks gestation tells the nurse that she dropped a cooking utensil last
week and her baby jumped in response to the noise. What information should the nurse
provide?
A. Report the fetus's behaviour to the healthcare provider.
B. The fetus can respond to sound by 24-weeks gestation.
C. This is a demonstration of the fetus's acoustical reflex.
D. It is a coincidence the fetus responded at the same time. - Answer-B. The fetus can
respond to sound by 24-weeks gestation.
A woman, whose pregnancy is confirm, asks the nurse what the function of the placenta
is in early pregnancy. What information supports the explanation that the nurse should
provide?
A. Produces nutrients for fetal nutrition.
B. Forms a protective, impenetrable barrier.
C. Secretes both estrogen and progesterone.
D. Excretes prolactin and insulin. - Answer-C. Secretes both estrogen and
progesterone.
Which cardiovascular findings should the nurse assess further in a client who is at 20-
weeks gestation?
A. Decrease in blood pressure.
B. Increase in red blood cell production.
C. Decrease in pulse rate.
D. Increase in heart sounds (S1, S2). - Answer-C. Decrease in pulse rate.
A 31-year-old woman uses an over-the-counter (OTC) pregnancy test that is positive
one week after a missed period. At the clinic, the client tells the nurse she takes
phenytoin (Dilantin) for epilepsy, has a history of irregular periods, is under stress at
work, and has not been sleeping well. The clients physical examination and ultrasound
do not indicate that she is pregnant. How should the nurse explain the most likely cause
for obtaining false-positive pregnancy test results?
, A. Being under too much stress at work.
B. Using an anticonvulsant for epilepsy.
C. Having an irregular menstrual cycle.
D. Taking the pregnancy test too early. - Answer-B. Using an anticonvulsant for
epilepsy.
Which gastrointestinal findings should the nurse be concerned about any client at 28-
weeks gestation?
A. Decrease peristalsis.
B. Ptyalism.
C. Pyrosis.
D. Pica. - Answer-D. Pica.
During a preconception counseling session for women trying to get pregnant in 3 to 6
months, what information should the nurse provide?
A. Discontinue all forms of contraception.
B. Make sure to include adequate folic acid in the diet.
C. Continue to take any medications that are taken regularly.
D. Lose weight so more weight is gained during pregnancy. - Answer-B. Make sure to
include adequate folic acid in the diet.
Which statement by a client who is pregnant indicates to the nurse an understanding of
the role of protein during pregnancy?
A. "Gestational diabetes is prevented by eating protein."
B. "Protein helps the fetus grow while I am pregnant."
C. "My baby will develop strong teeth after he is born."
D. "Anemia is averted by consuming enough protein." - Answer-B. "Protein helps the
fetus grow while I am pregnant."
A client in her second trimester of pregnancy asks if it is safe for her to have a drink with
dinner. How should the nurse respond to the client?
A. Only one drink with the evening meal is not harmful to the fetus.
B. Wine can be consumed several times a week after the first trimester.
C. During second trimester beer can be consumed without harm to the fetus.
D. Abstinence is strongly recommended throughout the pregnancy. - Answer-D.
Abstinence is strongly recommended throughout the pregnancy.
A female client who wants to delivery at home asks the nurse to explain the role of a
nurse-midwife in providing obstetric care. What information should the nurse provide?
A. Natural childbirth without analgesia is used to manage pain during labor.
ANSWERS
A client at 8-weeks gestation ask the nurse about the risk for congenital heart defect
(CHD) in her baby. Which response best explains when a CHD may occur?
A. They usually occur in the first trimester pregnancy.
B. The heart develops in the third to fifth weeks after conception.
C. It depends on what the causative factors are for a CHD.
D. We don't really know what or when CHDs occur. - Answer-B. The heart develops in
the third to fifth weeks after conception.
The nurse prepares to administer an injection of vitamin K to a newborn infant. The
mother tells the nurse, "Wait! I don't want my baby to have a shot." Which response
would be best for the nurse to make?
A. Inform the mother that the injection was prescribed by the healthcare provider.
B. Explore the mother's concern about the infant receiving an injection of vitamin K.
C. Remind the mother that all babies receive the shot and it is relatively painless.
D. Explain that vitamin K is required by state law and compliance is mandatory. -
Answer-B. Explore the mother's concern about the infant receiving an injection of
vitamin K.
The nurse is teaching a new mother about diet and breastfeeding. Which instruction is
most important to include in the teaching plan?
A. Double prenatal milk intake to improve vitamin D transfer to the infant.
B. Increase caloric intake by approximately 500 calories/day.
C. Avoid spicy foods to prevent infant colic.
D. Avoid alcohol because it is excreted in breast milk. - Answer-D. Avoid alcohol
because it is excreted in breast milk.
Which nursing intervention best enhances maternal-infant bonding during the fourth
stage of labor?
A. Brighten the lighting so the mother can view the infant.
B. Provide positive reinforcement for maternal care of infant.
C. Complete a newborn assessment as quickly as possible.
D. Encourage early initiation of breast or formula feeding. - Answer-D. Encourage early
initiation of breast or formula feeding.
,A client at 8-months gestation tells the nurse that she knows her baby listens to her, but
her husband thinks she is imagining things. What information should the nurse provide?
A. The interaction between the mother's voice and the fetus's response ensures
bonding.
B. The healthcare provider should address her concerns about her baby's hearing
function.
C. The fetus in utero is capable of hearing and does respond to the mother's voice.
D. Many women imagine what their baby is like by interpreting fetal movements. -
Answer-C. The fetus in utero is capable of hearing and does respond to the mother's
voice.
A client at 25-weeks gestation tells the nurse that she dropped a cooking utensil last
week and her baby jumped in response to the noise. What information should the nurse
provide?
A. Report the fetus's behaviour to the healthcare provider.
B. The fetus can respond to sound by 24-weeks gestation.
C. This is a demonstration of the fetus's acoustical reflex.
D. It is a coincidence the fetus responded at the same time. - Answer-B. The fetus can
respond to sound by 24-weeks gestation.
A woman, whose pregnancy is confirm, asks the nurse what the function of the placenta
is in early pregnancy. What information supports the explanation that the nurse should
provide?
A. Produces nutrients for fetal nutrition.
B. Forms a protective, impenetrable barrier.
C. Secretes both estrogen and progesterone.
D. Excretes prolactin and insulin. - Answer-C. Secretes both estrogen and
progesterone.
Which cardiovascular findings should the nurse assess further in a client who is at 20-
weeks gestation?
A. Decrease in blood pressure.
B. Increase in red blood cell production.
C. Decrease in pulse rate.
D. Increase in heart sounds (S1, S2). - Answer-C. Decrease in pulse rate.
A 31-year-old woman uses an over-the-counter (OTC) pregnancy test that is positive
one week after a missed period. At the clinic, the client tells the nurse she takes
phenytoin (Dilantin) for epilepsy, has a history of irregular periods, is under stress at
work, and has not been sleeping well. The clients physical examination and ultrasound
do not indicate that she is pregnant. How should the nurse explain the most likely cause
for obtaining false-positive pregnancy test results?
, A. Being under too much stress at work.
B. Using an anticonvulsant for epilepsy.
C. Having an irregular menstrual cycle.
D. Taking the pregnancy test too early. - Answer-B. Using an anticonvulsant for
epilepsy.
Which gastrointestinal findings should the nurse be concerned about any client at 28-
weeks gestation?
A. Decrease peristalsis.
B. Ptyalism.
C. Pyrosis.
D. Pica. - Answer-D. Pica.
During a preconception counseling session for women trying to get pregnant in 3 to 6
months, what information should the nurse provide?
A. Discontinue all forms of contraception.
B. Make sure to include adequate folic acid in the diet.
C. Continue to take any medications that are taken regularly.
D. Lose weight so more weight is gained during pregnancy. - Answer-B. Make sure to
include adequate folic acid in the diet.
Which statement by a client who is pregnant indicates to the nurse an understanding of
the role of protein during pregnancy?
A. "Gestational diabetes is prevented by eating protein."
B. "Protein helps the fetus grow while I am pregnant."
C. "My baby will develop strong teeth after he is born."
D. "Anemia is averted by consuming enough protein." - Answer-B. "Protein helps the
fetus grow while I am pregnant."
A client in her second trimester of pregnancy asks if it is safe for her to have a drink with
dinner. How should the nurse respond to the client?
A. Only one drink with the evening meal is not harmful to the fetus.
B. Wine can be consumed several times a week after the first trimester.
C. During second trimester beer can be consumed without harm to the fetus.
D. Abstinence is strongly recommended throughout the pregnancy. - Answer-D.
Abstinence is strongly recommended throughout the pregnancy.
A female client who wants to delivery at home asks the nurse to explain the role of a
nurse-midwife in providing obstetric care. What information should the nurse provide?
A. Natural childbirth without analgesia is used to manage pain during labor.
