Obstetric Nurse Labor and Birth Process Flashcards
7 cards from real Obstetric Nurse Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Obstetric Nurse Labor and Birth Process flashcards as text
A laboring patient at 34 weeks gestation presents with preterm labor. After confirming the diagnosis, which medication would the nurse anticipate giving to promote fetal lung maturity?
Answer: Betamethasone 12 mg IM given in two doses 24 hours apart
Betamethasone (a corticosteroid) administered to the mother between 24 and 34 weeks promotes fetal surfactant production and lung maturity, reducing neonatal respiratory distress.
What does a Bishop score of 3 indicate in a patient scheduled for labor induction?
Answer: The cervix is unfavorable and cervical ripening agents are indicated before induction
A Bishop score of 6 or less (especially ≤3) indicates an unfavorable cervix, and cervical ripening with prostaglandins or a mechanical device is recommended before oxytocin induction.
A nurse is preparing to insert an intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC). Which clinical indication is MOST appropriate for this intervention?
Answer: There is inadequate tracing quality and the need to assess contraction strength in Montevideo units
An IUPC is indicated when contraction quality cannot be adequately assessed externally and Montevideo units (MVUs) are needed to determine the adequacy of uterine activity.
During delivery, the fetal head is born but the shoulders do not deliver with the next contraction. The nurse recognizes shoulder dystocia and initiates HELPERR. What does the first maneuver 'H' represent?
Answer: Hyperflexion of maternal thighs (McRoberts maneuver)
In the HELPERR mnemonic for shoulder dystocia, 'H' stands for McRoberts maneuver — hyperflexing the maternal thighs onto the abdomen to flatten lumbar lordosis and widen the pelvic outlet.
A multiparous patient delivers within 2 hours of the onset of regular contractions. Her birth is classified as:
Answer: Precipitous labor
Precipitous labor is defined as labor and delivery completed in less than 3 hours from the onset of regular contractions and carries risks of perineal trauma and fetal hypoxia.
During a vaginal birth, after delivery of the fetal head, external rotation (restitution) occurs. What is the physiologic purpose of this movement?
Answer: To realign the fetal head with the fetal spine so the shoulders can descend in the oblique diameter
External rotation (restitution) realigns the delivered head with the fetal body so the shoulders can rotate into the anteroposterior diameter of the outlet for delivery.
A patient at 40 weeks reports decreased fetal movement for the past 24 hours. The nurse performs a nonstress test (NST). The tracing shows two accelerations in 30 minutes, each reaching 15 bpm above baseline and lasting 15 seconds. How should the nurse interpret this result?
Answer: Reactive NST — reassuring finding indicating adequate fetal oxygenation
A reactive NST requires at least two accelerations of 15 bpm lasting 15 seconds within 20–40 minutes, which is a reassuring sign of fetal well-being.
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