The nurse is providing education for a patient who has been newly diagnosed with a placenta previa at 37 weeks' gestation. The nurse understands that teaching has not been effective when the patient states:

Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker that can cause hypotension as a side effect, so the client should be advised to rise slowly from a sitting or lying position to avoid dizziness or fainting. The client does not necessarily need to be hospitalized and should continue taking the medication until a healthcare provider advises otherwise. The medication is typically continued until around 36-37 weeks gestation. There is no need to monitor respiratory rate with this medication.

Epidural blocks are commonly used during labor to provide pain relief. However, they can also cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, known as epidural-induced hypotension, which can affect fetal oxygenation and fetal heart rate. Therefore, it is important to monitor maternal blood pressure frequently after an epidural block is administered.

While monitoring the maternal pulse is also important, hypotension is the most common complication of epidural anesthesia and can lead to decreased blood flow to the fetus. Therefore, monitoring maternal blood pressure is the priority.

Monitoring the fetus is also important, but it is not the most important intervention after an epidural block. Limiting parenteral fluids may be necessary in some cases to help prevent or treat hypotension, but it is not always necessary and should be done based on the individual situation.