Study Guide

Maternal Newborn
Final
1. Discuss the impact of cultural factors on the womans birth experience. What is the
difference between cultural sensitivity and cultural competence?

2. Discuss the importance of a quality family focused experience for each patient.

3. If you have a question about your scope of practice, which agency would you contact for
more information?

4. Why might wearing tight fitting undergarments interfere with a mans ability to produce
quality sperm?

5. What teaching points might you include for a group of 9 - 12 year old girls? What is the
first sign of puberty? At what time of the females life cycle are ova formed?

6. What is the purpose of testosterone?

7. Discuss benefits of breast feeding. What impact does breast size have on a womans
ability to breast feed? What hormone is responsible for making milk? What hormone is
responsible for let down? Prolactin and then oxytocin

8. Discuss birth control measures that are not effective (withdrawal, douching, etc.) What is
the safest and most effective method?

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9. What drugs might be used to enhance fertility? How does Clomid work? Works by
helping a women ovulate.
10. Review the A&P of the placenta. How does blood get to the fetus and return to the
mother? Which is the vein and which are the arteries? Where in the uterus does the
placenta usually implant? What is the chorion and the amnion? Which side (chorion or
amnion) would have fingerlike projections?

11. At what week does the fetal heart begin to beat? What is a normal fetal heart rate? What
is a normal heart rate for a newborn?

12. Compare and contrast monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

13. Which hormone is responsible for a positive pregnancy test? HCG Which hormones
cause relaxation of the joints late in pregnancy, and what might the woman experience
related to the relaxation of her joints? What might the new mother and father experience
in relation to acceptance of the pregnancy? What aspects of care do nurses provide to the
prenatal woman?

14. Folic acid is important in the prevention of which type of birth defect? Neural tube defect

15. Discuss gravida and para. What is the normal schedule of prenatal office visits? How do
you calculate a due date using Nageles rule? What is the normal fetal heart rate? What
are good sources of calcium besides milk? How can a woman manage morning sickness
at home?

16. Differentiate between presumptive, probable & positive signs of pregnancy. When will
the woman begin to feel fetal movement? Discuss supine hypotension. Discuss exercise
during pregnancy. What is the impact of pregnancy on an adolescent woman.

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17. Discuss teaching of prevention of preterm labor in women who are at risk for PTL. What
medication might be ordered to help mature the lungs?

18. What are the differences between hospitals and birthing centers?

19. What is the purpose of amniotic fluid?

20. Why is relaxation of the uterus so important between contractions? What is the
significance of meconium staining?

21. Discuss cervical ripening.

22. How does the nurse relieve bruising and edema? What is the name of the chemical
substance that relieves pain? What is sacral pressure? At what phase of labor can narcotic
analgesics no longer be used? What narcotic agonist is commonly used for respiratory
depression due to narcotics given during labor? What is the gate control theory of pain?
What are contraindications to epidural anesthesia during labor? What are signs that a
woman is experiencing pain even though she might not complain? What are some nonpharmacological methods of pain relief, and what is the benefit of non-pharmacological
methods?

23. Why should the nurse encourage a woman not to bear down before the cervix is
completely dilated?

24. What should the nurse do if a woman is receiving a pitocin induction and the contractions
are closer together than two to three minutes apart?

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25. Compare and contrast hypotonic labor and hypertonic labor. What might the nurse
anticipate the physician or CNM do to improve the labor pattern of a woman in hypotonic
labor?

26. What are symptoms of hyperventilation, and how is it managed in labor?

27. What are some complications that might occur with either vacuum or forceps delivery?
What are some complications that might occur with cesarean section? (include emotional
needs)

28. A woman presents to the L&D unit at 9 cm dilated. How should the nurse prioritize care?
(hint: dont walk away)

29. After rupture of membranes, why does the nurse monitor temperature every two hours?

30. What are side effects of Brethine? What are side effects of Magnesium sulfate?

31. What is a normal finding for the fundus of the uterus after delivery? What if the fundus is
well contracted, but the woman continues to have a trickle of bright red blood? How
should the nurse assess the fundus of a cesarean section? What should the nurse do if the
fundus is boggy?

32. What might the nurse feel if he or she checks a woman who has a prolapsed cord? What
action should he or she take?

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33. Discuss teaching for a mother who wishes to breast feed. How often should she feed the
baby, what are signs that the baby is hungry, about how long will the baby feed at each
feeding? What is foremilk and hind milk, is supplementation ever necessary? (hint: no).
How will the nurse know if the infant is latched on correctly? Which side should the
mother start on at the next feeding? How many extra calories will the mother need each
day? When will menstruation resume? How should she manage cramping? How should
breast milk be stored? How long can it be stored? How should it be thawed? How much
should be put into each container? (hint: one feeding per container)

34. What is the name of the bleeding post partum? What are the three different types, how
long do the last, and what color are they?

35. Discuss perineal care.

36. What is needed for a woman who is not rubella immune?

37. If a mother is bottle feeding (artificial baby milk), when will menses return? What
teaching should be done to help prevent or reduce engorgement? How often should she
burp? How should she warm the artificial baby milk? How can she prevent extra air from
getting into the infants stomach? Is propping a bottle ever OK? (hint: no) What teaching
does the new mother need related to formula preparation?

38. How should the new mother care for the cord?

39. Discuss safety and infant identification

40. What is the minimum acceptable level of blood glucose in a full term infant?
41. What is the first sign of hypovolemic shock in any patient?
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42. How will the nurse manage mastitis? What teaching will he or she do?

43. Differentiate between post partum blues and post partum depression

44. What symptoms might make the nurse suspect a pulmonary embolus?

45. Discuss the WBC of the laboring and post partum woman. What is normal? When would
the nurse suspect an infection?

46. Compare and contrast caput succedaneum versus cephalohematoma. Discuss molding of
the fetal head during labor, and teaching for the parents.

47. Discuss signs of respiratory distress in the term or preterm infant. What assessment
findings lead the nurse to believe the infant is pre-term?

48. What are the normal reflexes seen in the newborn? Do babies recognize their mothers
voice? How does the nurse use a bulb syringe? Do babies experience pain? Are there any
tools for monitoring pain? How can the nurse manage pain in the infant? What teaching
will the nurse do for circumcision care?

49. What are the fontanels, how are they shaped, when do they close and how should they
feel? The new mother asks when will her baby double his birth weight? When will the
baby triple his birth weight?

50. What is normal for infant sleep patterns?

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51. What might the infant be at risk for if the bilirubin from jaundice goes too high?

52. Discuss thermal management of the preterm infant. How can the nurse prevent
retinopathy of prematurity? When do preterm infants catch up with their peers?

53. What are the common findings of a post term infant?

54. Discuss management of the infant born with hydrocephalus.

55. When is the infant screening test PKU done?

56. Discuss preventive measures for osteoporosis.

57. What types of diseases or abuse are nurses obligated to report?

58. What are important factors to teach pre-pubescent girls about the menstruation?
59.

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