Question 1

The nurse is providing care for a patient who is 8 hours postpartum after a vaginal delivery. The patient reports severe perineal pain unaffected by pain medication. The nurse notices a 4 cm area of discoloration on the labia that is tender to the touch. Which action does the nurse take?

Accepted Answer

A)  Continue to apply ice to the area for 24 hours.
B)  Monitor vital signs and report any abnormal readings.
C)  Contact the primary care provider for further evaluation.
D)  Relieve pressure by placing patient in a side-lying position. C

Question 2

A postpartum patient informs the nurse of a frequent urge and burning when attempting to urinate. The nurse reviews the patient's medical record and associates which risk factors related to a possible urinary tract infection (UTI)? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Neonatal macrosomia
B)  Use of a vacuum extractor
C)  Poor oral fluid intake
D)  Urinary catheter during labor
E)  Low-grade fever (101.3°F [38.5°C])  A,B,C,D

Question 3

The nurse on a postpartum unit observes a patient who delivered 2 days ago. The nurse notices extreme agitation and depressed mood. The patient states, "I think that my baby is deformed inside and we have to fix him." Which risk factor is most strongly related to possible postpartum psychosis (PPP)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Separation from the baby's father
B)  Personal history of bipolar disorder
C)  Prolonged labor resulting in cesarean
D)  Loss of first child from a heart defect C

Question 4

The nurse is assessing a patient who is 36 hours postpartum following a cesarean delivery. Which findings cause the nurse to conclude that a wound infection is developing? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Temperature increase from 99.8°F to 100.5°F
B)  Incisional tenderness with palpation
C)  Increased margins of incisional redness
D)  Notably warm skin around the incision
E)  Serosanguinous drainage from the suture line

Question 5

The nurse is collecting information during a follow-up OB appointment with a patient who delivered 3 months ago. The patient reports her partner has become cynical, irritable, and verbally abusive. The nurse will screen for which risks related to paternal postnatal depression (PPND)? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  The father exhibited depression during the pregnancy.
B)  The birth of this fourth child was unexpected and unplanned.
C)  The father expresses feeling bored and underappreciated in his job.
D)  The father is recently estranged from his parents and siblings.
E)  The mother experienced a prolonged labor and a cesarean birth.

Question 6

The nurse is preparing a postpartum patient for discharge. For which reasons does the nurse instruct the patient to call the primary care provider? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Foul-smelling lochia
B)  Hot, red, painful breasts
C)  Mild headache
D)  Not sleeping well
E)  Frequent, painful urination

Question 7

The lactation nurse takes a phone call from a mother who is breastfeeding her 2-month-old infant. The mother reports an area of redness and warmth on the breast and a painful burning sensation when breastfeeding. Which statement by the nurse is correct if mastitis is suspected?

Accepted Answer

A)  "If your nipples are cracked, you will need to stop breastfeeding."
B)  "Pump your milk and throw it away until the infection is gone."
C)  "The baby gave you an infection and needs to be on antibiotics."
D)  "Continuing to breastfeed will help clear up the condition."

Question 8

The nurse is closely monitoring a patient who is postpartum and at risk for PPH. Which assessment finding will cause the nurse to contact the primary care provider immediately?

Accepted Answer

A)  The uterus is displaced.
B)  The uterine fundus is boggy.
C)  Small clots are expressed with massage.
D)  Peripad weighs 100 g within 15 minutes.

Question 9

The nurse is providing postpartum care for a patient after a vaginal delivery. Which assessment finding causes the nurse to suspect endometritis from beta-hemolytic streptococcus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Scant amount of odorless lochia
B)  Presence of headache, malaise, and chills
C)  Pain or discomfort in the midline lower abdomen
D)  Elevated temperature greater than 100.4°F (38°
C)

Question 10

The labor and delivery unit nurses are adopting methods to reduce the number of women who develop postpartum depression. Research from Dennis and Dowswell (2013) provides evidence-based suggestions regarding beneficial interventions. Which suggestions do the nurses consider? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Telephone-based peer support
B)  Partner report of symptoms
C)  Interpersonal psychotherapy
D)  Teaching for self-recognition of problems
E)  Professionally based postpartum home visits

Question 11

The nurse in a labor and delivery department carefully assesses postpartum patients for signs of complications related to hemorrhage. Which factor makes it most difficult to identify the risk of hemorrhage through vital sign evaluation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Blood pressure may be elevated from prenatal conditions.
B)  Respirations are increased due to activity of labor.
C)  Changes in blood pressure may not be an immediate sign.
D)  Heart rate may increase with intensity of labor.

Question 12

The nurse is aware of concern about the increasing numbers of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). It is believed to be related to changes in the overall health of the population of women giving birth. Which reasons does the nurse identify as causes of SMM? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Increases in maternal age
B)  Prepregnancy obesity
C)  Cesarean deliveries
D)  Inability to pay for health care
E)  Preexisting chronic medical conditions

Question 13

The nurse continues to monitor a patient after a vaginal delivery with an estimated blood loss of 1,000 mL. Which assessment finding does the nurse recognize as requiring Stage 3 hemorrhage protocol?

Accepted Answer

A)  Increased patient restlessness.
B)  Manifestations of severe pain.
C)  Development of abnormal vital signs.
D)  Patient requests water for extreme thirst.

Question 14

The nurse works in a labor and delivery facility with new protocols for estimating postpartum blood loss. Which method for estimating blood loss is implemented in the delivery room?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ask the patient how many peripads she considered to be "soaked."
B)  Collect blood in calibrated, under-buttocks drapes for vaginal birth.
C)  Place a basin at the foot of the delivery table to catch any blood.
D)  Rely on the primary health care provider's estimate of blood loss.

Question 15

The nurse is providing care for a patient who is 1 day postpartum and exhibiting symptoms of postpartum psychosis. Which medical management does the nurse expect for this patient?

Accepted Answer

A)  Prescriptions for antidepressant/antipsychotic drugs
B)  Discharge to home with 24-hour observation in place
C)  Immediate hospitalization in a psychiatric unit
D)  Prescribed neonate visits during in-patient treatment

Question 16

The nurse is assisting the primary care provider with the third stage of a vaginal delivery. The patient is multiparous, experienced a precipitous birth, and has a history of hypertension. Which medical prescription does the nurse anticipate for this patient?

Accepted Answer

A)  Methylergonovine
B)  Fresh frozen plasma
C)  Carboprost-tromethamine
D)  Magnesium sulfate

Question 17

The nurse is aware the greatest source of bleeding during childbirth occurs following detachment of the placenta. Which physiological change takes place immediately after the expulsion of the placenta to decrease the amount of blood loss?

Accepted Answer

A)  Contractions of the uterine myometrium
B)  Factor VIII complex increases during gestation
C)  Platelet activity increases before labor and delivery
D)  Fibrin formation increases before the birth occurs

Question 18

The nurse is preparing discharge teaching for a postpartum patient who exhibits signs and symptoms of an episiotomy infection and is on oral antibiotic therapy. Which discharge teaching will the nurse provide regarding pain management?

Accepted Answer

A)  Application of hot packs to the perineal area
B)  Information applicable to medication therapy
C)  Instructions to improve circulation by ambulating
D)  Medicating for pain above level 4 on a 0 to 10 scale

Exam 14: High-Risk Postpartum Nursing Care