Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
Test Bank for Safe Maternity and Pediatric
Nursing Care 3rd Edition (F.A Davis) by Luanne
Linnard Palmer, Isbn no; 9781719648844, All
38 Chapters Covered| 2026 Updated
The nurse finds a woman crying after she has undergone a dilation and evacuation for a missed
abortion. What is the most appropriate statement by the nurse?
A. "There is usually something wrong with the fetus when this happens early in pregnancy."
B. "Now there. You can try to conceive on your next cycle."
C. "I'm here if you need to talk."
D. "You are young and strong. I know you can have a healthy pregnancy."
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, Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
C. "I'm here if you need to talk."
The most therapeutic response is to simply be present and offer a safe space for the patient to
express her grief without judgment or redirection. Telling her there was something wrong with the
fetus minimizes her loss and shifts focus away from her feelings, so A is wrong. Telling her she can try
again on the next cycle dismisses her grief and is not appropriate this soon after a loss, so B is wrong.
Reassuring her that she is young and strong projects assumptions onto her feelings and does not
meet her where she is emotionally, so D is wrong.
A patient who is 28 weeks pregnant presents with consistent hypertension. What need would the
home health nurse make the first priority?
A. Activity restriction
B. Balanced nutrition
C. Increased fluid intake to ensure adequate hydration
D. Instruction about the effect of diuretics
A. Activity restriction
Activity restriction is the first priority for a pregnant patient with consistent hypertension because rest
in the left lateral position reduces blood pressure, improves placental blood flow, and helps prevent
the condition from progressing to preeclampsia or eclampsia. Balanced nutrition is important but is
not the immediate priority for managing hypertension. Increasing fluid intake is not the first
intervention for hypertension in pregnancy. Diuretics are NOT prescribed for gestational hypertension
or preeclampsia because they reduce blood volume and worsen placental perfusion, so D is wrong
teaching entirely.
A patient with gestational hypertension is exhibiting all of the signs below. What should the nurse
report immediately?
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, Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
A. Diarrhea
B. Urticaria
C. Blurred vision
D. Backache
C. Blurred vision
Blurred vision is one of the three classic warning signs that a preeclamptic seizure may be imminent,
along with severe headache and epigastric pain — it indicates retinal artery spasm from worsening
hypertension and must be reported to the provider immediately. Diarrhea is a gastrointestinal
complaint that is not specifically associated with preeclampsia progression. Urticaria is an allergic skin
reaction and is not a sign of worsening preeclampsia. Backache is a very common discomfort in
pregnancy and is not an emergency finding in this context.
A pregnant patient tells the nurse that she has been nauseated and vomiting. How will the nurse
explain that hyperemesis gravidarum is distinguished from morning sickness?
A. Hyperemesis gravidarum usually lasts for the duration of the pregnancy.
B. Hyperemesis gravidarum causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
C. Sensitivity to smells is usually the cause of vomiting in hyperemesis gravidarum.
D. The woman with hyperemesis gravidarum will have persistent vomiting without weight loss.
B. Hyperemesis gravidarum causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is distinguished from normal morning sickness by its severity — the vomiting
is so persistent and severe that it leads to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, ketonuria, and weight
loss of more than 5% of pre-pregnancy body weight, often requiring hospitalization and IV fluids.
Normal morning sickness is uncomfortable but does not cause these serious complications.
Hyperemesis does not always last the entire pregnancy — it typically peaks in the first trimester.
Sensitivity to smells can trigger vomiting in both conditions so it does not distinguish them.
Hyperemesis always causes weight loss, so D is the opposite of the truth.
P a g e 3 | 235
, Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
A nurse is providing prenatal education. The nurse will explain that pregnancy affects glucose
metabolism in what way?
A. Placental hormones increase the resistance of cells to insulin.
B. Insulin cells cannot meet the body's demands as the woman's weight increases.
C. There is a decreased production of insulin during pregnancy.
D. The speed of insulin breakdown is decreased during pregnancy.
A. Placental hormones increase the resistance of cells to insulin.
During pregnancy, placental hormones like human placental lactogen (hPL) cause the mother's cells
to become resistant to insulin so that more glucose stays in the bloodstream and is available to cross
the placenta and feed the growing fetus. This is a normal adaptation of pregnancy but it can lead to
gestational diabetes when the pancreas cannot produce enough extra insulin to overcome that
resistance. Insulin production actually increases during pregnancy to try to compensate, so C is wrong.
The speed of insulin breakdown is not the mechanism, so D is wrong. Weight alone is not the primary
cause of this metabolic change, so B is wrong.
The nurse is caring for a pregnant woman receiving an intravenous infusion with magnesium sulfate.
What is the highest priority nursing intervention?
A. Count respirations and report a rate of less than 12 breaths per minute.
B. Count respirations and report a rate of more than 20 breaths per minute.
C. Check blood pressure and report a rate of less than 100/60 mm Hg.
D. Monitor urinary output and report a rate of less than 100 mL per hour.
A. Count respirations and report a rate of less than 12 breaths per minute.
The highest priority when monitoring a patient on magnesium sulfate is watching for
respiratory depression because if respirations fall below 12 per minute it means the
P a g e 4 | 235
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
Test Bank for Safe Maternity and Pediatric
Nursing Care 3rd Edition (F.A Davis) by Luanne
Linnard Palmer, Isbn no; 9781719648844, All
38 Chapters Covered| 2026 Updated
The nurse finds a woman crying after she has undergone a dilation and evacuation for a missed
abortion. What is the most appropriate statement by the nurse?
A. "There is usually something wrong with the fetus when this happens early in pregnancy."
B. "Now there. You can try to conceive on your next cycle."
C. "I'm here if you need to talk."
D. "You are young and strong. I know you can have a healthy pregnancy."
P a g e 1 | 235
, Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
C. "I'm here if you need to talk."
The most therapeutic response is to simply be present and offer a safe space for the patient to
express her grief without judgment or redirection. Telling her there was something wrong with the
fetus minimizes her loss and shifts focus away from her feelings, so A is wrong. Telling her she can try
again on the next cycle dismisses her grief and is not appropriate this soon after a loss, so B is wrong.
Reassuring her that she is young and strong projects assumptions onto her feelings and does not
meet her where she is emotionally, so D is wrong.
A patient who is 28 weeks pregnant presents with consistent hypertension. What need would the
home health nurse make the first priority?
A. Activity restriction
B. Balanced nutrition
C. Increased fluid intake to ensure adequate hydration
D. Instruction about the effect of diuretics
A. Activity restriction
Activity restriction is the first priority for a pregnant patient with consistent hypertension because rest
in the left lateral position reduces blood pressure, improves placental blood flow, and helps prevent
the condition from progressing to preeclampsia or eclampsia. Balanced nutrition is important but is
not the immediate priority for managing hypertension. Increasing fluid intake is not the first
intervention for hypertension in pregnancy. Diuretics are NOT prescribed for gestational hypertension
or preeclampsia because they reduce blood volume and worsen placental perfusion, so D is wrong
teaching entirely.
A patient with gestational hypertension is exhibiting all of the signs below. What should the nurse
report immediately?
P a g e 2 | 235
, Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
A. Diarrhea
B. Urticaria
C. Blurred vision
D. Backache
C. Blurred vision
Blurred vision is one of the three classic warning signs that a preeclamptic seizure may be imminent,
along with severe headache and epigastric pain — it indicates retinal artery spasm from worsening
hypertension and must be reported to the provider immediately. Diarrhea is a gastrointestinal
complaint that is not specifically associated with preeclampsia progression. Urticaria is an allergic skin
reaction and is not a sign of worsening preeclampsia. Backache is a very common discomfort in
pregnancy and is not an emergency finding in this context.
A pregnant patient tells the nurse that she has been nauseated and vomiting. How will the nurse
explain that hyperemesis gravidarum is distinguished from morning sickness?
A. Hyperemesis gravidarum usually lasts for the duration of the pregnancy.
B. Hyperemesis gravidarum causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
C. Sensitivity to smells is usually the cause of vomiting in hyperemesis gravidarum.
D. The woman with hyperemesis gravidarum will have persistent vomiting without weight loss.
B. Hyperemesis gravidarum causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is distinguished from normal morning sickness by its severity — the vomiting
is so persistent and severe that it leads to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, ketonuria, and weight
loss of more than 5% of pre-pregnancy body weight, often requiring hospitalization and IV fluids.
Normal morning sickness is uncomfortable but does not cause these serious complications.
Hyperemesis does not always last the entire pregnancy — it typically peaks in the first trimester.
Sensitivity to smells can trigger vomiting in both conditions so it does not distinguish them.
Hyperemesis always causes weight loss, so D is the opposite of the truth.
P a g e 3 | 235
, Test Bank for Safe
Maternity and 08/26/2026
Pediatric Nursing Care
A nurse is providing prenatal education. The nurse will explain that pregnancy affects glucose
metabolism in what way?
A. Placental hormones increase the resistance of cells to insulin.
B. Insulin cells cannot meet the body's demands as the woman's weight increases.
C. There is a decreased production of insulin during pregnancy.
D. The speed of insulin breakdown is decreased during pregnancy.
A. Placental hormones increase the resistance of cells to insulin.
During pregnancy, placental hormones like human placental lactogen (hPL) cause the mother's cells
to become resistant to insulin so that more glucose stays in the bloodstream and is available to cross
the placenta and feed the growing fetus. This is a normal adaptation of pregnancy but it can lead to
gestational diabetes when the pancreas cannot produce enough extra insulin to overcome that
resistance. Insulin production actually increases during pregnancy to try to compensate, so C is wrong.
The speed of insulin breakdown is not the mechanism, so D is wrong. Weight alone is not the primary
cause of this metabolic change, so B is wrong.
The nurse is caring for a pregnant woman receiving an intravenous infusion with magnesium sulfate.
What is the highest priority nursing intervention?
A. Count respirations and report a rate of less than 12 breaths per minute.
B. Count respirations and report a rate of more than 20 breaths per minute.
C. Check blood pressure and report a rate of less than 100/60 mm Hg.
D. Monitor urinary output and report a rate of less than 100 mL per hour.
A. Count respirations and report a rate of less than 12 breaths per minute.
The highest priority when monitoring a patient on magnesium sulfate is watching for
respiratory depression because if respirations fall below 12 per minute it means the
P a g e 4 | 235
