A patient who is 42 weeks pregnant is admitted to the hospital in active labor.The patient is upset and says to the nurse, "I haven't felt the baby move for about three or four hours." The fetal heart rate is ranging between 136 and 143.
Which action should the nurse take?

Ask the patient if she has had any alcoholic beverages within the past 24 hours.

Find out if the patient has had any bloody vaginal discharge today.

Tell the patient that the fetal heart rate does not appear to indicate that the baby is in distress.

Explain to the patient the relationship between a woman's anxiety level and her ability to detect movement.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

This is because a normal fetal heart rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute, and the range of 136 to 143 indicates that the fetus is well-oxygenated and not experiencing hypoxia or acidosis. The nurse should reassure the patient and explain that fetal movement may decrease during labor due to the pressure of the contractions on the uterus and the fetus.

Choice A is wrong because asking the patient about alcohol consumption is irrelevant and insensitive.

Alcohol can affect fetal development and growth, but it does not directly affect fetal movement or heart rate.

Choice B is wrong because bloody vaginal discharge, or bloody show, is a normal sign of cervical dilation and effacement during labor.

It does not indicate fetal distress or placental abruption.

Choice D is wrong because explaining the relationship between anxiety and fetal movement does not address the patient’s concern or provide any factual information.

Anxiety can affect maternal perception of fetal movement, but it does not cause fetal movement to decrease.

The nurse should validate the patient’s feelings and provide factual reassurance.

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

The correct answer is choice C. Reminding her that she should be happy that one child survived and is healthy is the least helpful nursing action in supporting the woman as she copes with her loss.

This statement minimizes her grief and implies that she should not feel sad about the deceased twin.

It also disregards her attachment to both babies and her need to mourn the loss of one of them.

Choice A is wrong because offering her the opportunity for counseling to help her grieve is a helpful nursing action that recognizes her emotional distress and provides her with professional support.

Choice B is wrong because encouraging the woman to hold the deceased twin as well as the living twin is a helpful nursing action that allows her to acknowledge and bond with both babies and to create memories that may facilitate healing.

Choice D is wrong because assisting the woman to take pictures of both babies is a helpful nursing action that provides her with tangible mementos of her twins and honors their

A. Provide the client with an abdominal binder. B. Provide a rocking chair at the client’s bedside. C. Keep the head of the client’s bed flat for six hours. D. Encourage the client to drink cold, carbonated fluids throughout the day.

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

The correct answer is choice D. Encourage the client to drink cold, carbonated fluids throughout the day.This helps to relieve the shoulder pain caused by the carbon dioxide gas used to inflate the abdomen during laparoscopy.

The gas irritates the diaphragm, which refers pain to the shoulder.Drinking cold, carbonated fluids can help expel the gas and reduce the pain.

Choice A is wrong because an abdominal binder is not necessary for a laparoscopic procedure.It is more commonly used for abdominal surgeries that involve a large incision.

Choice B is wrong because a rocking chair is not helpful for a client who had a laparoscopic BTL.It is more useful for a client who had a vaginal delivery to promote comfort and uterine involution.

Choice C is wrong because keeping the head of the bed flat for six hours is not indicated for a laparoscopic BTL.It may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism due to prolonged immobility.The client should be encouraged to ambulate as soon as possible after surgery.

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A patient who is 42 weeks pregnant is admitted to the hospital in active labor.The patient is upset and says to the nurse, "I haven't felt the baby move for about three or four hours." The fetal heart rate is ranging between 136 and 143. Which action should the nurse take?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A woman gives birth to twin girls, one of whom is stillborn. Which nursing action would be least helpful in supporting the woman as she copes with her loss?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

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Correct Answer is D

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A patient who is 42 weeks pregnant is admitted to the hospital in active labor.The patient is upset and says to the nurse, "I haven't felt the baby move for about three or four hours." The fetal heart rate is ranging between 136 and 143.
Which action should the nurse take?