A first-time pregnant woman at 36 weeks of gestation is admitted to the labor and delivery unit because her membranes ruptured 30 minutes ago.
The initial assessment indicates a 2 cm cervical dilation, 50% effacement, -2 station, vertex presentation, greenish- colored amniotic fluid, and contractions occurring every 3 to 5 minutes.
There is a decrease in fetal heart rate after the last four contraction peaks.
What should the nurse do first?
Administer oxygen via a face mask.
Apply an internal fetal heart monitor.
Use a vibroacoustic stimulator.
Notify the healthcare provider.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A rationale
Administering oxygen via a face mask is the first intervention the nurse should do. This is because the decrease in fetal heart rate after the last four contractions indicates possible fetal distress, which can be caused by insufficient oxygen. Administering oxygen to the mother can increase the amount of oxygen available to the fetus, potentially alleviating the distress.
Choice B rationale
Applying an internal fetal heart monitor can provide more accurate and continuous data about the fetal heart rate and contractions. However, this is usually not the first intervention because it is invasive and can only be done if the cervix is sufficiently dilated and the membranes have ruptured.
Choice C rationale
Using a vibroacoustic stimulator is a method used to wake a sleeping baby in the womb during a non-stress test. It is not typically used in response to signs of fetal distress during labor.
Choice D rationale
Notifying the healthcare provider is important when there are signs of fetal distress. However, the nurse has interventions, such as administering oxygen, that they can and should do immediately while the healthcare provider is being notified.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Initiating a hearing and vision screening program for first graders is an example of secondary prevention. Secondary prevention aims to identify and treat an illness or disease at an early stage, which is exactly what a screening program does.
Choice B rationale
Observing a person with type I diabetes mellitus self-administer a dose of insulin is not an example of secondary prevention. This is more related to disease management, which falls under tertiary prevention.
Choice C rationale
Preparing a presentation on how to prevent the spread of lice is an example of primary prevention, which aims to prevent disease or injury before it ever occurs.
Choice D rationale
Collaborating with a science teacher to prepare a health lesson could be seen as primary prevention if the lesson is about preventing disease, or tertiary prevention if it’s about managing existing conditions.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale
While obtaining an analgesic prescription might help to alleviate the patient’s joint pain, it is not the first intervention that should be implemented in an acute adrenal crisis. The patient’s low blood pressure and high heart rate are immediate life-threatening conditions that need to be addressed first.
Choice B rationale
Infusing an intravenous fluid bolus is the first intervention that should be implemented in an acute adrenal crisis. This can help to increase the patient’s blood pressure, which is dangerously low.
Choice C rationale
Administering a PRN oral antipyretic could help to reduce the patient’s fever, but it is not the first intervention that should be implemented in an acute adrenal crisis. The patient’s low blood pressure and high heart rate are immediate life-threatening conditions that need to be addressed first.
Choice D rationale
Covering the patient with a cooling blanket could help to reduce the patient’s fever, but it is not the first intervention that should be implemented in an acute adrenal crisis. The patient’s low blood pressure and high heart rate are immediate life-threatening conditions that need to be addressed first.
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