A nurse is caring for a newborn who was transferred to the nursery 30 min after birth because of mild respiratory distress. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Choice A Reason:
"The nurse will carry your newborn to the nursery for procedures. "This statement is inappropriate. In current practice, there is an emphasis on family-centered care, and parents are often encouraged to be involved in the care of their newborns, including accompanying them for procedures whenever possible.

Choice B Reason:
"We will document the relationship of visitors in your medical record." This statement is inappropriate. While it is important to monitor and document visitors, the primary focus here is on healthcare staff and their identification.

Choice C Reason:
"Your baby will stay in the nursery while you are asleep." This statement is inappropriate. Promoting rooming-in and encouraging parental involvement in newborn care is a common practice to support bonding and breastfeeding, so this statement may not align with current best practices.

Choice D Reason:
"Staff members who take care of your baby will be wearing a photo identification badge." This statement reassures the client that the healthcare providers involved in the care of the newborn will have proper identification, enhancing security and ensuring that authorized personnel are handling the infant.

The correct answer is D.

A. Maintain the client NPO throughout the procedure: It is not necessary to maintain the client NPO (nothing by mouth) for a nonstress test. The test primarily involves monitoring fetal heart rate in response to the baby's movements and does not require fasting.

B. Place the client in a supine position: Placing the client in a left lateral position is often preferred for NST to optimize uterine blood flow and fetal oxygenation. The supine position can compromise blood flow to the uterus and is generally avoided, especially in later pregnancy.

C. Instruct the client to massage the abdomen to stimulate fetal movement: While the goal of the NST is to monitor fetal movements, instructing the client to actively stimulate fetal movement through abdominal massage is not a standard part of the procedure. Fetal movements should occur naturally.

D. Instruct the client to press the provided button each time fetal movement is detected: This is the correct action. During a nonstress test, the client is typically provided with a button to press whenever she feels fetal movement. This helps correlate fetal movements with changes in the fetal heart rate on the monitor, providing valuable information about the baby's well-being.