Obstetric Nurse Pain Management in Labor 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 Pain Management in Labor flashcards as text
Which method of analgesia provides the most complete pain relief during active labor?
Answer: Epidural analgesia
Epidural analgesia delivers continuous local anesthetic and opioid to the epidural space, providing superior and sustained pain relief compared to systemic or inhaled alternatives.
Before epidural placement in a laboring patient, which assessment is most critical for patient safety?
Answer: Platelet count and coagulation status
Coagulopathy is a contraindication to epidural placement because it increases the risk of epidural hematoma, a potentially catastrophic complication.
A laboring patient received IV fentanyl 50 mcg 20 minutes ago. Which assessment is the nurse's highest priority?
Answer: Maternal respiratory rate and sedation level
Opioids cause dose-dependent respiratory depression; monitoring maternal respiratory rate and level of sedation is the priority to detect this potentially life-threatening effect.
A patient's blood pressure drops to 88/54 mmHg immediately after epidural analgesia is initiated. The priority nursing intervention is:
Answer: Increase IV fluid rate and position patient in left lateral tilt
Epidural-induced hypotension results from sympathetic blockade causing vasodilation; IV fluid bolus and left lateral positioning to relieve aortocaval compression are the first-line interventions.
Which condition is a contraindication to epidural analgesia during labor?
Answer: Active coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia below 70,000/mm³
Active coagulopathy markedly increases the risk of epidural hematoma, which can compress the spinal cord and cause permanent neurological injury.
Which non-pharmacological labor pain relief technique involves applying firm pressure to the sacral area during contractions?
Answer: Counter-pressure
Counter-pressure involves applying firm manual pressure to the lower back or sacrum, which helps relieve the intense back pain common in labor, especially with an occiput posterior fetus.
Which medication is used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression in a laboring patient or newborn?
Answer: Naloxone (Narcan)
Naloxone is a pure opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses respiratory depression, sedation, and analgesia caused by opioid medications.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- nccwebsite.org — Test delivery, eligibility, fees, exam format, score release, test dates, time limit, passing score, renewal, score validity · verified Oct 2026