LP 7 - Postpartum
28. The nurse is caring for a postpartum client who experienced a second-degree perineal laceration at delivery 2 hours ago. Which of the following interventions should the nurse perform at this time? 1. Apply an ice pack to the perineum. 2. Advise the woman to use a sitz bath after every voiding. 3. Advise the woman to sit on a pillow. 4. Teach the woman to insert nothing into her rectum.
1. It is appropriate to apply an ice pack to the area. TEST-TAKING TIP: A second-degree laceration affects the skin, vaginal mucosa, and underlying muscles. (It does not affect the rectum or rectal sphincter.) Because of the injury, the area often swells, causing pain. Ice packs help to reduce the inflammatory response and numb the area.
1. A 3-day postpartum client, who is not immune to rubella, is to receive the vaccine at discharge. Which of the following must the nurse include in her discharge teaching regarding the vaccine? 1. The woman should not become pregnant for at least 4 weeks. 2. The woman should pump and dump her breast milk for 1 week. 3. The mother must wear a surgical mask when she cares for the baby. 4. Passive antibodies transported across the placenta will protect the baby.
1. The women should not become pregnant for at least 4 weeks. This statement is correct. The rubella vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine. Severe birth defects can develop if the woman becomes pregnant within 4 weeks of receiving the injection. TEST-TAKING TIP: If rubella is contracted during pregnancy, the fetus is at very high risk for injury. Whenever gravid clients are found to be nonimmune to rubella, they are advised to receive the vaccine during the early postpartum period and are counseled regarding the teratogenic properties of the vaccine.
69. An Asian client's temperature 10 hours after delivery is 100.2ºF. She refuses to drink her iced water. Which of the following actions is most appropriate? 1. Replace the iced water with hot water. 2. Notify the client's health care provider. 3. Assess the client's breasts for engorgement. 4. Remind the client that drinking is very important.
1. This action is appropriate. Asians, many of whom believe in the hot-cold theory of disease, will often not drink cold fluids or eat cold foods during the postpartum. TEST-TAKING TIP: The knowledge that consuming fluids is important is not in conflict with this client's traditions. There is no reason why the client must consume cold fluids. The nurse should provide the client with the warm fluids required by her beliefs.
34. A client is receiving an epidural infusion of a narcotic for pain relief after a cesarean section. The nurse would report to the anesthesiologist if which of the following were assessed? 1. Respiratory rate 8 rpm. 2. Complaint of thirst. 3. Urinary output of 250 cc/hr. 4. Numbness of feet and ankles.
1. This action is appropriate. This client's respiratory rate is below normal. TEST-TAKING TIP: One of the serious complications of narcotic administration is respiratory depression. This client's respiratory rate is well below expected. The nurse should continue to monitor the client carefully and notify the anesthesiologist of the complication
33. The obstetrician has ordered that a post-op cesarean section client's patient controlled analgesia (PCA) be discontinued. Which of the following actions by the nurse is appropriate? 1. Discard the remaining medication in the presence of another nurse. 2. Recommend waiting until her pain level is zero to discontinue the medicine. 3. Discontinue the medication only after the analgesia is completely absorbed. 4. Return the unused portion of medication to the narcotics cabinet.
1. This answer is correct. Because the medication in a PCA pump is controlled by law, the medication must be wasted in the presence of another nurse. TEST-TAKING TIP: There are a number of considerations that the nurse must make when giving medications, especially when administering controlled substances. The nurse is legally bound to account for the administration of or the disposal of narcotic medications. If any narcotic is wasted, a second nurse must cosign the disposal.
68. The nurse is caring for a Seventh Day Adventist woman who delivered a baby boy by cesarean section. Which of the following questions should be asked regarding this woman's care? 1. "Would you like me to order a vegetarian clear liquid diet for you?" 2. "Is there anything special you will need for your Sabbath on Sunday?" 3. "Would you like to telephone your clergy to set up a date for the baptism?" 4. "Will a rabbi be performing the circumcision on your baby?"
1. This question is appropriate. Seventh Day Adventists usually follow vegetarian diets. TEST-TAKING TIP: There are a number of religious traditions. The nurse should be familiar with the major precepts of each religion in order to provide clients with holistic care.
26. A breastfeeding client, G10P6408, delivered 10 minutes ago. Which of the following assessments is most important for the nurse to perform at this time? 1. Pulse. 2. Fundus. 3. Bladder. 4. Breast.
2. An assessment of the woman's fundus is the most important assessment to perform on this client. TEST-TAKING TIP: This client's gravidity and parity indicate that she is a grand multipara. She has been pregnant 10 times, carrying 6 babies to term and 4 babies preterm. Because her uterus has been stretched so many times, she is at high risk for uterine atony during the postpartum period. The nurse must, therefore, monitor the postpartum contraction of her uterus very carefully
4. To prevent infection, the nurse teaches the postpartum client to perform which of the following tasks? 1. Apply antibiotic ointment to the perineum daily. 2. Change the peripad at each voiding. 3. Void at least every two hours. 4. Spray the perineum with a povidone-iodine solution after toileting.
2. Clients should be advised to change their pads at each voiding. TEST-TAKING TIP: The correct answer did not explicitly state that the vaccine is administered during the immediate postpartum period because the woman is not pregnant and is unlikely to become pregnant within the next 4 weeks. But the test taker must know that a woman's obstetric status immediately after delivery is optimal for receiving the medication precisely because she is not pregnant and very unlikely to become pregnant.
42. A nurse is assessing the fundus of a client during the immediate postpartum period. Which of the following actions indicates that the nurse is performing the skill correctly? 1. The nurse measures the fundal height using a paper centimeter tape. 2. The nurse stabilizes the base of the uterus with his or her dependent hand. 3. The nurse palpates the fundus with the tips of his or her fingers. 4. The nurse precedes the assessment with a sterile vaginal exam.
2. The nurse should stabilize the base of the uterus with his or her dependent hand. TEST-TAKING TIP: If the base of the uterus is not stabilized during the assessment, there is a possibility that the uterus may invert or prolapse. While stabilizing the base, the nurse should gently assess for the fundus by palpating the abdomen with the flat part of the fingers until the fundus is felt.
20. Which of the following laboratory values would the nurse expect to see in a normal postpartum woman? 1. Hematocrit 39%. 2. White blood cell count 16,000 cells/mm3 . 3. Red blood cell count 5 million cells/mm3 . 4. Hemoglobin 15 grams/dL.
2. The nurse would expect to see an elevated white cell count. TEST-TAKING TIP: If the test taker is familiar with normal lab values, he or she could easily deduce the answer to this question by comparing the values. Three of the values—hematocrit, hemoglobin, and red blood cell count—relate to the oxygen-carrying properties of the blood, and all of these values are on the upper end of normal. Only one answer, white blood cell count, is different from the others. The white cell count elevates late in the third trimester and stays elevated during labor and the early postpartum period in order to protect the mother from infection during the delivery and puerperium.
38. The nurse is assessing the midline episiotomy on a postpartum client. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect to see? 1. Moderate serosanguinous drainage. 2. Well-approximated edges. 3. Ecchymotic area distal to the episiotomy. 4. An area of redness adjacent to the incision
2. The nurse would expect to see well approximated edges TEST-TAKING TIP: The best tool to use when assessing any incision is the REEDA scale. The nurse assesses for: R—redness, E—edema, E—ecchymosis, D—drainage, and A—poor approximation. If there is evidence of any of the findings, they should be documented and monitored and reported, if significant
49. A client, G1P0101, postpartum 1 day, is assessed. The nurse notes that the client's lochia rubra is moderate and her fundus is boggy 2 cm above the umbilicus and deviated to the right. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first? 1. Notify the woman's primary health care provider. 2. Massage the woman's fundus. 3. Escort the woman to the bathroom to urinate. 4. Check the quantity of lochia on the peripad.
2. This action is the first that the nurse should take. TEST-TAKING TIP: When a postpartum client's bladder is distended, the uterus becomes displaced and boggy. The client should be escorted to the bathroom to void; the lochia flow should also be assessed. But, before escorting the client to urinate, the nurse should gently massage the uterus.
30. A woman is receiving patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) post-cesarean section. Which of the following must be included in the patient teaching? 1. The client should monitor how often she presses the button. 2. The client should report any feelings of nausea or itching to the nurse. 3. The family should press the button whenever they feel the woman is in pain. 4. The family should inform the nurse if the client becomes sleepy.
2. This information is correct. Clients often experience nausea and/or itching when PCA narcotics are administered. TEST-TAKING TIP: It is important for the nurse to teach a client's family members not to touch the PCA pump. Even though the pump is programmed with a minimum time between medication attempts, there is a possibility that the client could receive an overdose of medication if someone else controls the administrations. If a client is able to push the button herself she is, by definition, awake and alert.
64. A nurse is counseling a woman about postpartum blues. Which of the following should be included in the discussion? 1. The father may become sad and weepy. 2. Postpartum blues last about a week or two. 3. Medications are available to relieve the symptoms. 4. Very few women experience postpartum blues
2. This information is correct. The blues usually resolve within 2 weeks of delivery. TEST-TAKING TIP: The test taker must not confuse the three psychological changes that mothers may experience postpartum: postpartum blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. Postpartum blues is a normal phenomenon related to fatigue, hormonal shifts, and the enormous responsibility of becoming a mother. Postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are pathological conditions that only some women experience.
81. Why are obstetric clients most at high risk for cardiovascular compromise during the one hour immediately following a delivery? 1. Because the weight of the uterine body is significantly reduced. 2. Because the excess blood volume from pregnancy is circulating in the woman's periphery. 3. Because the cervix is fully dilated and the lochia flows freely. 4. Because the maternal blood pressure drops precipitously once the baby's head emerges.
2. This response is true. Once the placenta is birthed, the reservoir for the mother's large blood volume is gone. TEST-TAKING TIP: It is essential that the nurse closely monitor the vital signs of a newly delivered gravida. Because of the surge in blood volume resulting from the delivery of the placenta, the woman is high risk for cardiovascular compromise. Women frequently develop bradycardia as a result of the increased peripheral blood volume.
48. The nurse palpates a distended bladder on a woman who delivered vaginally 2 hours earlier. The woman refuses to go to the bathroom, "I really don't need to go." Which of the following responses by the nurse is appropriate? 1. "Okay. I must be palpating your uterus." 2. "I understand but I still would like you to try to urinate." 3. "You still must be numb from the local anesthesia." 4. "That is a problem. I will have to catheterize you."
2. This statement is accurate. Mothers often do not feel bladder pressure after delivery. TEST-TAKING TIP: During pregnancy, the bladder loses its muscle tone because of the pressure exerted on it by the gravid uterus. As a result, after delivery mothers often fail to feel when their bladders become distended.
51. The nurse informs a postpartum woman that ibuprofen (Advil) is especially effective for afterbirth pains. What is the scientific rationale for this? 1. Ibuprofen is taken every two hours. 2. Ibuprofen has an anti prostaglandin effect. 3. Ibuprofen is given via the parenteral route. 4. Ibuprofen is administered in high doses.
2. This statement is correct. Ibuprofen has an antiprostaglandin effect. TEST-TAKING TIP: Prostaglandins are produced as part of the inflammatory response. When ibuprofen is administered, the client receives the pain-reducing action of the medication as well as its anti-inflammatory properties
6. A breastfeeding woman has been counseled on how to prevent engorgement. Which of the following actions by the mother shows that the teaching was effective? 1. She pumps her breasts after each feeding. 2. She feeds her baby every 2 to 3 hours. 3. She feeds her baby 10 minutes on each side. 4. She supplements each feeding with formula
2. This statement is true. The best way to prevent engorgement is to feed the baby every 2 to 3 hours. TEST-TAKING TIP: This question is similar to the preceding question except that this question tests the nurse's ability to evaluate a client's response rather than to perform a nursing action.
13. A breastfeeding mother states that she has sore nipples. In response to the complaint, the nurse assists with "latch on" and recommends that the mother do which of the following? 1. Use a nipple shield at each breastfeeding. 2. Cleanse the nipples with soap 3 times a day. 3. Rotate infant positions at each feed. 4. Bottle feed for 2 days then resume breastfeeding
3. Rotating positions at feedings is one action that can help to minimize the severity of sore nipples. TEST-TAKING TIP: If a mother rotates positions at each breastfeeding, the baby is likely to put pressure on varying points on the nipple. A good, deep latch, however, is the most important way to prevent nipple soreness and cracking. The mother could also apply lanolin to her breasts after each feeding.
63. A primipara, 4 hours postpartum, requests that the nurse diaper her baby after a feeding because, "I am so tired right now. I just want to have something to eat and take a nap." Based on this information, the nurse concludes that the woman is exhibiting signs of which of the following? 1. Social deprivation. 2. Child neglect. 3. Normal postpartum behavior. 4. Postpartum depression.
3. The client is exhibiting normal postpartum behavior. TEST-TAKING TIP: This client is exhibiting signs of the postpartum taking in phase. She is a primigravida who delivered only 4 hours earlier. Her comments are well within those expected of a client at this point during her postpartum period.
53. A physician has ordered an iron supplement for a postpartum woman. The nurse strongly suggests that the woman take the medicine with which of the following drinks? 1. Skim milk. 2. Ginger ale. 3. Orange juice. 4. Chamomile tea.
3. The nurse would recommend that the iron be taken with orange juice because ascorbic acid, which is in orange juice, promotes the absorption of iron into the body. TEST-TAKING TIP: Since ascorbic acid promotes the absorption of iron into the body, it is appropriate for the nurse to recommend that the client take her iron supplement with a food source high in ascorbic acid, like orange juice
79. A client has just been transferred to the postpartum unit from labor and delivery. Which of the following tasks should the registered nurse delegate to the nursing care assistant? 1. Assess client's fundal height. 2. Teach client how to massage her fundus. 3. Take the client's vital signs. 4. Document quantity of lochia in the chart.
3. This action can be delegated to a nursing assistant. Once the vital signs are checked, the nursing assistant can report the results to the nurse for his or her interpretation. TEST-TAKING TIP: Delegation is an important skill. Nurses are unable to meet all the needs of all of their patients. They must ask other health care workers, e.g., licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants, to meet some of the clients' needs. It is essential, however, that the nurse delegate appropriately. Assessment, teaching, and documentation are tasks that should not be delegated to nursing assistants.
47. The nurse is examining a 2-day postpartum client whose fundus is 2 cm below the umbilicus and whose bright red lochia saturates about 4 inches of a pad in 1 hour. What should the nurse document in the nursing record? 1. Abnormal involution, lochia rubra heavy. 2. Abnormal involution, lochia serosa scant. 3. Normal involution, lochia rubra moderate. 4. Normal involution, lochia serosa heavy
3. This response is correct. The involution is normal and the lochia is rubra. TEST-TAKING TIP: Lochia rubra is bright red, lochia serosa is pinkish to brownish, and lochia alba is whitish. The nurse would expect the fundus to descend below the umbilicus approximately 1 cm per postpartum day. In other words, 1 day postpartum, the fundus is usually felt 1 cm below the umbilicus; 2 days postpartum, it is usually felt 2 cm below the umbilicus, and so on
50. The nurse has taught a new admission to the postpartum unit about pericare. Which of the following indicates that the client understands the procedure? 1. The woman performs the procedure twice a day. 2. The woman sits in warm tap water for ten minutes. 3. The woman sprays her perineum from front to back. 4. The woman mixes tap water with hydrogen peroxide.
3. This statement is accurate. TEST-TAKING TIP: Even though the correct response does not include the fact that warm water is sprayed on the perineum, the answer is still correct. A postpartum client is taught to spray warm tap water on the perineum, from front to back, after each toileting and whenever she changes her peripads.
67. A Muslim woman requests something to eat after the delivery of her baby. Which of the following meals would be most appropriate for the nurse to give her? 1. Ham sandwich. 2. Bacon and eggs. 3. Spaghetti with sausage. 4. Chicken and dumplings
4. Although this is not a traditional Muslim dish, the foods are allowable by Muslim tradition. TEST-TAKING TIP: Clients in the immediate postdelivery period are in need of nourishment. It is very important that the nurse be aware of cultural differences and provide foods that are acceptable to the clients
8. A G2P2002, who is postpartum 6 hours from a spontaneous vaginal delivery, is assessed. The nurse notes that the fundus is firm at the umbilicus, there is heavy lochia, and perineal sutures are intact. Which of the following actions should the nurse take at this time? 1. Do nothing. This is a normal finding. 2. Massage the woman's fundus. 3. Take the woman to the bathroom to void. 4. Notify the woman's primary health care provider
4. Because of the heavy lochia, the nurse should notify the woman's health care provider. TEST-TAKING TIP: The nurse must do some detective work when observing unexpected signs/symptoms. This client is bleeding more heavily than the nurse would expect. When the nurse assesses the two most likely sources of the bleeding— the fundus and the perineal sutures— normal findings are noted. The next most likely source of the bleeding —a laceration in the birth canal—is unobservable to the nurse because performing a postpartum internal examination is not a nursing function. The nurse, therefore, must notify the health care practitioner of the problem.
7. A 2-day-postpartum breastfeeding woman states, "I am sick of being fat. When can I go on a diet?" Which of the following responses is appropriate? 1. "It is fine for you to start dieting right now as long as you drink plenty of milk." 2. "Your breast milk will be low in vitamins if you start to diet while breastfeeding." 3. "You must eat at least 3000 calories per day in order to produce enough milk for your baby." 4. "Many mothers lose weight when they breastfeed because the baby consumes about 600 calories a day."
4. Many mothers who consume approximately the same number of calories while breastfeeding as they did when they were pregnant do lose weight while breastfeeding. TEST-TAKING TIP: Mothers should be advised to eat a well-balanced diet and drink sufficient quantities of fluids while breastfeeding. There is no absolute number of calories that the mother should consume, but if she does go on a restrictive diet, it is likely that her milk supply may dwindle. Babies do take in about 600 calories a day at the breast so breast feeding alone is a form of dieting.
23. The nurse is evaluating the involution of a woman who is 3 days postpartum. Which of the following findings would the nurse evaluate as normal? 1. Fundus 1 cm above the umbilicus, lochia rosa. 2. Fundus 2 cm above the umbilicus, lochia alba. 3. Fundus 2 cm below the umbilicus, lochia rubra. 4. Fundus 3 cm below the umbilicus, lochia serosa
4. The fundus is usually 3 cm below the umbilicus on day 3 and the lochia usually has turned to serosa by day 3. TEST-TAKING TIP: Although each client's postpartum course is slightly different, on day 3 postpartum, the nurse would expect the fundus of most clients to be 3 cm below the umbilicus and the lochia to have become serosa.
37. A nurse is assessing a 1-day postpartum woman who had her baby by cesarean section. Which of the following should the nurse report to the surgeon? 1. Fundus at the umbilicus. 2. Nodular breasts. 3. Pulse rate 60 bpm. 4. Pad saturation every 30 minutes.
4. This blood loss is excessive, especially for a postoperative cesarean section client. The surgeon should be notified. TEST-TAKING TIP: Because the placenta is manually removed and the uterine cavity is manually scraped during cesarean deliveries, it is common for postoperative clients to have a scanty lochial flow. This client is having a heavy loss. After the fundal assessment is complete, the observations should be reported to the surgeon.
29. A woman had a cesarean section yesterday. She states that she needs to cough but that she is afraid to. Which of the following is the nurse's best response? 1. "I know that it hurts but it is very important for you to cough." 2. "Let me check your lung fields to see if coughing is really necessary." 3. "If you take a few deep breaths in, that should be as good as coughing." 4. "If you support your incision with a pillow, coughing should hurt less."
4. This is the appropriate response. The nurse is providing the client with a means of reducing the discomfort of postsurgical coughing. TEST-TAKING TIP: Clients with abdominal incisions experience significant postoperative pain. And because their abdominal muscles have been incised, the pain is increased when the clients breathe in and cough. Bracing the abdominal muscles with a pillow or a blanket helps to reduce the discomfort
45. A bottle feeding woman, 11 ⁄2 weeks postpartum from a vaginal delivery, calls the obstetric office to state that she has saturated 2 pads in the past 1 hour. Which of the following responses by the nurse is appropriate? 1. "You must be doing too much. Lie down for a few hours and call back if the bleeding has not subsided." 2. "You are probably getting your period back. You will bleed like that for a day or two and then it will lighten up." 3. "It is not unusual to bleed heavily every once in a while after a baby is born. It should subside shortly." 4. "It is important for you to be examined by the doctor today. Let me check to see when you can come in."
4. This response is appropriate. The client should be examined to assess her involution. TEST-TAKING TIP: One important piece of information in this question is the fact that the client is bottle feeding her baby. If she were breastfeeding, she could be encouraged to put the baby to breast and see if the bleeding subsided. Since oxytocin is released when babies suckle at the breast, this is a noninvasive method of promoting uterine contraction
83. The nurse is preparing to place a peripad on the perineum of a client who delivered her baby 10 minutes earlier. The client states, "Oh, I don't use those. I always use tampons." Which of the following actions by the nurse is appropriate at this time? 1. Remove the peripad and insert a tampon into the woman's vagina. 2. Advise the client that for the first two days she will be bleeding too heavily for a tampon. 3. Remind the client that a tampon would hurt until the soreness from the delivery resolves. 4. State that it is unsafe to place anything into the vagina until involution is complete
4. This response is correct. It is unsafe to place anything in the vagina before involution is complete. TEST-TAKING TIP: This question examines whether or not the test taker is aware of changes in care that are determined by the situation. Because the cervix is still dilated and the uterine body is high risk for infection, it is unsafe to insert anything into the vagina until involution is complete.
39. A client, G1P1, who had an epidural, has just delivered a daughter, Apgar 9/9, over a mediolateral episiotomy. The physician used low forceps. While recovering, the client states, "I'm a failure. I couldn't stand the pain and couldn't even push my baby out by myself!" Which of the following is the best response for the nurse to make? 1. "You'll feel better later after you have had a chance to rest and to eat." 2. "Don't say that. There are many women who would be ecstatic to have that baby." 3. "I am sure that you will have another baby. I bet that it will be a natural delivery." 4. "To have things work out differently than you had planned is disappointing."
4. This response shows that the nurse has an understanding of the client's feelings. TEST-TAKING TIP: When clients express their feelings, nurses must provide acceptance and implicit approval in order to encourage the clients to continue to express those feelings. Comments like, "Don't say that. There are many women who would be ecstatic to have that baby," close down conversation and communicate disapproval.
