HESI Maternity, Obstetrics / Maternity

Practice Questions and Answers

1. The nurse observes a new mother avoiding eye contact with her newborn. Which

action should the nurse take?

- Observe the mother for other attachment behaviors.

2. The nurse should explain to a 30-year-old gravid client that alpha fetoprotein

testing is recommended for which purpose?

- Screen for neural tube defects.

3. What action should the nurse implement to decrease the client's risk for

hemorrhage after a cesarean section?

- Check the firmness of the uterus every 15 minutes

4. The nurse attempts to help an unmarried teenager deal with her feelings

following a spontaneous abortion at 8-weeks’ gestation. What type of emotional

response should the nurse anticipate?

- Grief related to her perceptions about the loss of this child.

5. The nurse is assessing a 3-day old infant with a cephalohematoma in the

newborn nursery. Which assessment finding should the nurse report to the

healthcare provider?

- Yellowish tinge to the skin.

6. When assessing a client who is at 12-weeks gestation, the nurse recommends

that she and her husband consider attending childbirth preparation classes.

When is the best time for the couple to attend these classes?

- At 30-weeks gestation is closest to the time parents would be ready for

such classes. Learning is facilitated by an interested pupil! The couple is

most interested in childbirth toward the end of the pregnancy when they 

are psychologically ready for the termination of the pregnancy, and the

birth of their child is an immediate concern.

7. A client at 32-weeks gestation is diagnosed with preeclampsia. Which

assessment finding is most indicative of an impending convulsion?

- Epigastric pain (C) is indicative of an edematous liver or pancreas which is

an early warning sign of an impending convulsion (eclampsia) and requires

immediate attention.

8. A client is admitted with the diagnosis of total placenta previa. Which finding is

most important for the nurse to report to the healthcare provider immediately?

- Onset of uterine contractions.

9. A client who is in the second trimester of pregnancy tells the nurse that she

wants to use herbal therapy. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

- It is important that you want to take part in your care.

10.A couple, concerned because the woman has not been able to conceive, is

referred to a healthcare provider for a fertility workup and a

hysterosalpingography is scheduled. Which post procedure complaint indicates

that the fallopian tubes are patent?

- If the tubes are patent (open), pain is referred to the shoulder (C) from a

subdiaphragmatic collection of peritoneal dye/gas.

11.A client who delivered an infant an hour ago tells the nurse that she feels wet

underneath her buttock. The nurse notes that both perineal pads are completely

saturated and the client is lying in a 6-inch diameter pool of blood. Which action

should the nurse implement next?

- Palpate the firmness of the fundus.

12.One hour after giving birth to an 8-pound infant, a client's lochia rubra has

increased from small to large and her fundus is boggy despite massage. The

client's pulse is 84 beats/minute and blood pressure is 156/96. The healthcare

provider prescribes Methergine 0.2 mg IM × 1. What action should the nurse take

immediately?

- Methergine is contraindicated for clients with elevated blood pressure, so

the nurse should contact the healthcare provider and question the

prescription (D)