Obstetric Nurse Test Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the Obstetric Nurse Test exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 Obstetric Nurse Test Exam Format at a Glance
📚 Obstetric Nurse Test Topics to Study (57)
✍️ Sample Obstetric Nurse Test Questions & Answers
1. A patient at 34 weeks gestation presents with sudden severe headache, visual disturbances, and BP of 168/112 mmHg. Which intervention is the PRIORITY?
Magnesium sulfate is the priority intervention to prevent seizures in severe preeclampsia with neurological symptoms.
2. Which condition is a contraindication to epidural analgesia during labor?
Active coagulopathy markedly increases the risk of epidural hematoma, which can compress the spinal cord and cause permanent neurological injury.
3. Which maternal position during labor is most effective for relieving back pain associated with an occiput posterior fetal position?
The hands-and-knees position uses gravity to encourage anterior rotation of the fetal occiput away from the maternal sacrum, reducing sacral pressure and back pain.
4. During a newborn head-to-toe assessment, the nurse observes a soft, edematous area on the infant's scalp that extends across the suture lines. This finding is most consistent with which condition?
Caput succedaneum is generalized edema of the scalp that is present at birth. It feels soft and spongy and, crucially, crosses the cranial suture lines. It typically resolves within a few days. A cephalohematoma is a collection of blood that does not cross suture lines.
5. A nurse is reviewing the criteria for a diagnosis of preeclampsia with severe features. Which of the following findings is a key indicator of this condition?
According to ACOG guidelines, preeclampsia with severe features is diagnosed in the presence of new-onset hypertension along with specific signs of end-organ damage. A platelet count below 100,000/μL (thrombocytopenia) is a diagnostic criterion for severe features. While elevated blood pressure and proteinuria are present in preeclampsia, the other options describe findings of preeclampsia without severe features or common pregnancy symptoms.
6. What position is most common for cervical lacerations during labor and delivery?
Cervical lacerations during labor and delivery most commonly occur at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. These lateral aspects of the cervix are subjected to the greatest stretching and pressure as the fetal head descends through the birth canal. The forces exerted during dilation and passage of the fetus make these areas particularly vulnerable to tearing.