Fetal Monitoring
What is a normal fetal heart rate baseline.
What is 110–160 beats per minute?
A patient presents to triage for labor evaluation. This exam is performed to determine if she is in labor or not.
This condition is normal and can be seen in mothers in the first few days and weeks of the postpartum period. It is more concerning if the symptoms persist after a couple of weeks.
What are the postpartum blues?
A new parent asks when their baby’s umbilical cord stump should fall off. This is the expected timeframe.
What is about 1–2 weeks after birth?
A woman comes to the clinic to confirm a new pregnancy. She is a G6P3033. How many full term deliveries has she previoously had?
What are three?
A normal fetal heart tracing should not be flat. This is the minimum variability considered normal.
What is 5 beats per minute?
The nurse midwife explains to her patient that when her cervix begins to open this is called...
What is cervical dilation?
A firm, midline fundus with normal lochia makes this common postpartum emergency less likely.
What is postpartum hemorrhage?
When assessing a newborn’s apical heart rate, the nurse should listen for this length of time.
What is 60 seconds?
In her second trimester, Allison develops dizziness, trouble sleeping, and easy bruising. A CBC reveals a common pregnancy-induced condition. This is her likely diagnosis.
What is anemia?
In order to have a vaginal birth in most hospitals in America, the fetal head must be in this position.
What is vertex?
A laboring patient’s cervix reaches this dilation, marking the beginning of the active phase of the first stage of labor
What is 6 centimeters?
A postpartum patient reports a persistent headache and blurred vision. This condition should be high on the nurse’s differential.
What is preeclampsia?
After birth, an infant of a diabetic mother continues to have high levels of this hormone even though the maternal glucose supply has stopped
What is insulin?
This generally benign pregnancy condition can cause platelet counts below the normal range
What is gestational thrombocytopenia?
A fetal heart rate baseline that remains below 110 bpm for at least 10 minutes is classified as this.
What is fetal bradycardia?
A cervix is typically 3-4 centimeters in length. During labor it begins to shorten. What is that shortening called?
What is effacement?
This validated 10-item screening tool is commonly used to screen postpartum patients for symptoms of depression.
What is the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)?
Jitteriness, poor feeding, and lethargy in an at-risk newborn should make the nurse check this immediately.
At 28 - 30 weeks, a pregnant patient is offered this vaccine to help protect her newborn from pertussis during the first months of life?
What is Tdap?
Maria has chronic hypertension. In the third trimester she comes to the office for twice weekly testing during which the baby's heart rate is monitored for 20 minutes at a time. This test is called...
What is a non stress test?
After laboring overnight, a morning cervical exam reveals the baby is breech. The provider will likely recommend this procedure
What is a cesarean section?
After a postpartum patient reports headache and visual changes, these two neurologic assessments should be added to your focused assessment.
What are reflexes and clonus?
A newborn becomes tachypneic with nasal flaring, grunting, and retractions. Before attempting to feed the baby, the nurse should recognize these findings as signs of this condition.
What is respiratory distress?
At 10 weeks, a pregnant patient has severe, persistent vomiting, weight loss, and dehydration requiring IV fluids. This condition is suspected.
What is hyperemesis gravidarum?