Nursing Management During Labor and Birth

The expected fetal heart rate response in an active fetus is:

acceleration of at least 15 bpm for 15 seconds. A reassuring active fetal heart rate is a change in baseline by increase of 15 bpm for 15 seconds. This is a positive and reassuring periodic change in fetal heart rates as a response to fetal movement.

A client asks her nurse what effleurage means. After instruction is given, the nurse determines learning has taken place when the client states:

"Effleurage is light abdominal massage used to displace pain." Effleurage is a light abdominal massage used to keep the laboring woman's focus on the massage instead of the pain of labor.

What is the normally accepted fetal heart rate range?

110-160 bpm The standard acceptable fetal heart rate baseline is the range of 110-160 beats per minute. Sustained heart rates above or below the norm are cause for concern.

A woman arrives in the labor and birth department and is panting and screaming "the baby is coming". What is the priority intervention by the nurse?

Quickly move the woman to a labor bed, and check the perineum. The woman is showing signs of advanced labor, possibly in transition or stage two. She needs to be managed as an imminent birth and taken directly to a room for vaginal assessment. Vital signs, medical/obstetrical history, and her room assignment can be taken care of later in the process.

What is the most important thing a nurse can do during labor and birth to prevent maternal and fetal infection?

Thoroughly wash the hands before and after client contact. The most important infection control technique in any health care setting is thoroughly washing hands on routine basis. Keeping the area clean is secondary, but is also important.

If the monitor pattern of uteroplacental insufficiency were present, which action would the nurse do first?

Turn her or ask her to turn to her side. The most common cause of uteroplacental insufficiency is compression of the vena cava; turning the woman to her side removes the compression.

If a fetus were not receiving enough oxygen during labor because of uteroplacental insufficiency, which pattern would the nurse anticipate seeing on the monitor?

fetal heart rate declining late with contractions and remaining depressed Lack of blood supply to the fetus because of poor placental filling prevents the fetal heart rate from recovering immediately following a contraction.

A patient who is in her 9th month of pregnancy comes to the emergency department and reports that bright red blood is coming from her vagina. She denies having any pain. What needs to be ruled out before a vaginal examination can be performed?

placenta previa Vaginal examinations should never be done if the woman presents with bright red painless bleeding until placenta previa is ruled out. The other options would not be concerns at this time based on the findings.

A patient is admitted to the labor and delivery unit. Upon examination, she is found to be dilated 3 cm. The nurse notes that the woman is having contractions that last about 45 seconds and are about 5 minutes apart. Based on this information, in which phase of labor is this patient?

latent phase Contractions during the latent phase of labor are typically 5 to 10 minutes apart and last 30 to 45 seconds. The cervix is dilated 1 to 3 cm, and effacement begins.

The nurse notes that a client's amniotic fluid is green when the membranes rupture. What finding would the nurse document?

meconium in the amniotic sac Green tinted fluid with ROM is indicative of meconium in the amniotic sac, or the infant having a bowel movement in utero. Infection would be shown by pus or cloudy fluid. Umbilical cord prolapse occurs when pressure on the cord stops the flow of oxygen to the fetus. Amniotic embolism results when amniotic fluid enters circulation.

The laboring client is on continuous fetal monitoring when the nurse notes a decrease in the fetal heart rate with variable deceleration to 75 bpm. What is the initial nursing intervention?

Change the position of the client. Variable decelerations often indicate a type of cord compression. The initial response is to change the position and try to release the cord compression. If this does not work, apply oxygen while using the call light to alert others. If this continues, her fluid status needs to be assessed before increasing her IV rate.

The nurse is assessing a woman in active labor. She notes a small mass above the symphysis pubis, rounded, distended, and nontender. What intervention should the nurse take next?

Check the chart for the last void. The most probable explanation of the mass is the bladder, which is full. The nurse should determine the last void by the client and offer to assist the client to void or prepare to catheterize the client to empty the bladder. This can be taken care of by the nurse. The client would not likely know if the mass was always present or not, given its location. If it were the uterus, it would be tender to the touch.

A nurse places an external fetal monitor on a woman in labor. Which instruction would be best to give her?

Lie on her side so she is comfortable. The best position for all women during labor is on their side.

Which signs signify that the second stage of labor has begun?

The urge to push occurs. Second stage of labor is the pushing stage; this is typically identified by the woman's urge to push or a feeling of needing to have a bowel movement. The emotional state may be altered due to pain and pressure. Contraction frequency is variable and not clearly indicative of a particular stage. The fetus can be at stage -1 for any length of time.

A nurse is preparing a patient for rhythm strip testing. She places the woman into a semi-Fowler's position. What is the appropriate rationale for this measure?

To prevent supine hypotension syndrome The term "rhythm strip testing" means assessment of the fetal heart rate for whether a good baseline rate and long- and short-term variability are present. For this, help a woman into a semi-Fowler's position (either in a comfortable lounge chair or on an examining table or bed with an elevated backrest) to prevent her uterus from compressing the vena cava and causing supine hypotension syndrome during the test. Placing her in this position does not decrease the heart rate of the fetus. It is not done to aid the woman as she pushes in labor, as she is not in labor yet. It is not done to prevent her from falling out of bed.

A client is in the first stage of labor, latent phase. Her membranes are intact, and her contractions are mild. Considering the client's condition and phase of labor, the nurse knows that which aid will facilitate labor?

ambulation ad lib To facilitate the first stage of labor, ambulation and movement will allow better fetal descent and help to speed the labor process. Bed rest will slow or stop the labor process. The client may use the bathroom as needed, but this does not affect labor rate. The client should remain mobile.

The nurse determines that the fetal heart rate averages approximately 140 beats per minute over a 10-minute period. The nurse identifies this as:

baseline FHR. The baseline FHR averages 110 to 160 beats per minute over a 10-minute period. Fetal bradycardia occurs when the FHR is less than 110 beats per minute for 10 minutes or longer. Short-term variability is the beat-to-beat change in FHR. Baseline variability refers to the normal physiologic variations in the time intervals that elapse between each fetal heartbeat observed along the baseline in the absence of contractions, decelerations, and accelerations.

Which intervention has been demonstrated to reduce the release of catecholamines and anxiety, and has resulted in better birth outcomes for women?

continuous labor support Continuous labor support has been demonstrated to result in better labor outcomes in the current research. Continuous labor support is defined as caring for the labor patient by a nurse, doula, or primary support person who does not leave the client. Massage therapy is effective in that it engages gate control. Pharmacological interventions are useful but pose potential side effects to the mother and fetus. Hypnosis is less well understood.

The nurse explains Leopold's maneuvers to a pregnant client. For which purposes are these maneuvers performed?

determining the presentation of the fetus determining the position of the fetus determining the lie of the fetus Leopold maneuvers help the nurse to determine the presentation, position, and lie of the fetus. The approximate weight and size of the fetus can be determined with ultrasound sonography or abdominal palpation.

When assessing a woman in the first stage of labor, the nurse recognizes that the most conclusive assessment that uterine contractions are effective would be:

dilatation of cervix. The best determination of effective contractions is dilation of the cervix. Engagement, membrane rupture, and bloody show may all occur before the cervix has dilated.

A woman is in the fourth stage of labor. During the first hour of this stage, the nurse would assess the woman's fundus at which frequency?

every 15 minutes During the first hour of the fourth stage of labor, the nurse would assess the woman's fundus every 15 minutes and then every 30 minutes for the next hour.

When planning the care of a woman in the active phase of labor, the nurse would anticipate assessing the fetal heart rate at which interval?

every 15 to 30 minutes During the active phase of labor, FHR is monitored every 15 to 30 minutes. FHR is assessed every 30 to 60 minutes during the latent phase of labor. The woman's temperature is typically assessed every 4 hours during the first stage of labor and every 2 hours after ruptured membranes. Blood pressure, pulse, and respirations are assessed every hour during the latent phase and every 30 minutes during the active and transition phases. Contractions are assessed every 30 to 60 minutes during the latent phase, every 15 to 30 minutes during the active phase, and every 15 minutes during transition.

The nurse is assessing the laboring client to determine fetal oxygenation status. What indirect assessment method will the nurse likely use?

external electronic fetal monitoring Analysis of the FHR using external electronic fetal monitoring is one of the primary evaluation tools used to determine fetal oxygen status indirectly. Fetal pulse oximetry measures fetal oxygen saturation directly and in real time. It is used with electronic fetal monitoring as an adjunct method of assessment when the FHR pattern is abnormal or inconclusive. Fetal scalp blood is obtained to measure the pH. The fetal position can be determined through ultrasonography or abdominal palpation but is not indicative of fetal oxygenation.

A pregnant client in her 32nd week of gestation has been admitted to a health care center reporting decreased fetal movement. What should the nurse determine first before placing the fetoscope on the woman's abdomen, so as to auscultate the fetal heart sounds?

fetal back The nurse assessing the client should first determine the fetal back before placing the fetoscope on the client's abdomen. The fetal back is determined first because it is through the back that the heart signals are best transmitted. During labor, the fetal heart rate should be assessed to check for any variations indicating distress. Fetal heart rate is auscultated by placing a fetoscope on the client's abdomen in the area of the fetal back. Determining the fetal head, shoulders, and the buttocks would be of no help in localizing the heart sounds.

A pregnant client with a history of spinal injury is being prepared for a cesarean birth. Which method of anesthesia is to be administered to the client?

general anesthesia General anesthesia is administered in emergency cesarean births. Local anesthetic is injected into the superficial perineal nerves to numb the perineal area generally before an episiotomy. Although an epidural block is used in cesarean births, it is contraindicated in clients with spinal injury. Regional anesthesia is contraindicated in cesarean births.

A client is being admitted to labor and birth. When admitting an obstetric client in early labor, the first intervention by the nurse is:

good rapport is established with the client and significant other. On admission the client and her family need to establish a rapport with their caregiver. If the client is stable and there is no immediate need, rapport should be established over actions that can be taken care of later.

The labor and delivery nurse knows that internal monitoring during labor is an invasive technique. She correctly identifies an increase in the risk of which of the following for both mother and fetus if this is done?

infection Because internal monitoring techniques are invasive, both the woman and the fetus can become ill with infection. Internal methods should be used only when the benefit clearly outweighs the risk.

A nurse is providing care to a woman during the third stage of labor. Which finding would alert the nurse that the placenta is separating?

sudden gush of dark blood from the vagina Signs that the placenta is separating including a firmly contracting uterus, a change in uterine shape from discoid to globular ovoid, a sudden gush of dark blood from the vaginal opening, and lengthening of the umbilical cord protruding from the vagina.

While waiting for the placenta to deliver during the third stage of labor the nurse must assess the new mother's vital signs every 15 minutes. What sign would indicate impending shock?

tachycardia and a falling blood pressure Monitor the woman's vital signs at least every 15 minutes during the third stage of labor. Tachycardia and a falling blood pressure are signs of impending shock; the nurse should immediately report these signs.

While caring for a woman in labor, the nurse notes that the fetal heart monitor demonstrates late decelerations. The most common cause for their occurrence is:

uteroplacental insufficiency. Late decelerations are associated with uteroplacental insufficiency. They typically indicate decreased blood flow to the uterus during the contractions. Maternal hypotension and fatigue would not be observed on the fetal heart monitor. Cord compression would be marked by fetal tachycardia.