HESI LPN
HESI Focus on Maternity Exam
1. A client comes to the clinic for her first prenatal visit and reports that July 10 was the first day of her last menstrual period. Using Nagele’s Rule, the nurse calculates the estimated date of birth for the client to be _________.
- A. 4/17.
- B. 4/10.
- C. 5/10.
- D. 5/17.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Nagele's Rule is a common method used to estimate the due date. To calculate it, subtract 3 months and add 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period. In this case, if the last menstrual period started on July 10, subtracting 3 months (April) and adding 7 days gives an estimated due date of April 17. This is the correct answer. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not follow the Nagele's Rule calculation method.
2. A client who is post-operative from a bowel resection is experiencing abdominal distention and pain. The nurse notices the client has not passed gas or had a bowel movement. What should the nurse assess first?
- A. The client's bowel sounds.
- B. The client's fluid intake.
- C. The client's pain level.
- D. The client's surgical incision.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Assessing bowel sounds is crucial in this situation as it helps determine if the client's gastrointestinal tract is functioning properly. Absent or hypoactive bowel sounds can indicate an ileus, a common post-operative complication. Assessing fluid intake (Choice B) is important but should come after assessing bowel sounds. Pain assessment (Choice C) is essential but addressing the physiological issue should take precedence. Checking the surgical incision (Choice D) is relevant but not the priority when the client is experiencing abdominal distention and potential gastrointestinal complications.
3. A nurse is caring for an infant with a tentative diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). What is most important for the nurse to assess?
- A. Quality of the cry
- B. Signs of dehydration
- C. Coughing up feedings
- D. Characteristics of the stool
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Signs of dehydration. Assessing for signs of dehydration is crucial in infants with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) because they are at high risk due to frequent vomiting. Dehydration can lead to serious complications if not promptly addressed. Choices A, C, and D are not the priority assessments for HPS. While the quality of the cry can provide some information on the infant's distress level, dehydration assessment takes precedence. Coughing up feedings may not be specific to HPS, and characteristics of the stool, although important in general assessments, are not the priority in this situation.
4. After a 26-year-old gravida 4, para 0 experienced a spontaneous abortion at 9 weeks gestation, how should the nurse intervene after observing the client crying softly one hour post dilation and curettage (D&C)?
- A. Offer to call the social worker to discuss the possibility of adoption
- B. Reassure the client that the infertility specialist can help
- C. Express sorrow for the client's grief and offer to sit with her
- D. Chart the vital signs and amount of vaginal bleeding
Correct answer: C
Rationale: After a traumatic experience like a spontaneous abortion, it is crucial for the nurse to provide emotional support. Expressing sorrow for the client's grief and offering to sit with her demonstrates empathy and allows the client to process her emotions. Options A and B focus on future possibilities and medical interventions, which may not be immediately appropriate. Option D, while important for monitoring the client's physical status, does not address the client's emotional needs at that moment.
5. Which of the following are key parameters that produce blood pressure? (Select ONE that does not apply)
- A. Heart rate
- B. Stroke volume
- C. Peripheral resistance
- D. Neuroendocrine hormones
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Heart rate, stroke volume, and peripheral resistance are indeed key parameters that directly influence blood pressure. Heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute, affecting how much blood is pumped. Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped by the heart in one contraction. Peripheral resistance is the resistance of the arteries to blood flow, impacting the pressure needed to push blood through. Neuroendocrine hormones, while they can indirectly influence blood pressure regulation by affecting factors like blood volume and vascular tone, are not direct final parameters that produce blood pressure.