HESI LPN
Maternity HESI Practice Questions
1. A woman has experienced iron deficiency anemia during her pregnancy. She had been taking iron for 3 months before the birth. The client gave birth by cesarean 2 days earlier and has been having problems with constipation. After assisting her back to bed from the bathroom, the nurse notes that the woman’s stools are dark (greenish-black). What should the nurse’s initial action be?
- A. Perform a guaiac test and record the results.
- B. Recognize the finding as abnormal and report it to the primary health care provider.
- C. Recognize the finding as a normal result of iron therapy.
- D. Check the woman’s next stool to validate the observation.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should recognize that dark stools are a common side effect in clients who are taking iron replacement therapy. Dark stools are a known, expected result of iron supplementation and are not indicative of a complication unless other symptoms of GI bleeding are present. A guaiac test would be necessary if there were concerns about gastrointestinal bleeding. Recognizing dark stools as a consequence of iron therapy is an essential nursing assessment skill and does not require immediate reporting. Checking the next stool to confirm the observation is unnecessary as the presence of dark stools in this context is already an expected outcome of iron supplementation.
2. A nurse is developing an educational program about hemolytic diseases in newborns for a group of newly licensed nurses. Which of the following genetic information should the nurse include in the program as a cause of hemolytic disease?
- A. The mother is Rh positive, and the father is Rh negative
- B. The mother is Rh negative, and the father is Rh positive
- C. The mother and the father are both Rh positive
- D. The mother and the father are both Rh negative
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'The mother is Rh negative, and the father is Rh positive.' Hemolytic disease of the newborn occurs when an Rh-negative mother carries an Rh-positive fetus, leading to Rh incompatibility. In this scenario, the mother produces antibodies against the Rh antigen present in the fetus, which can result in hemolysis of the fetal red blood cells. Choices A, C, and D do not describe the Rh incompatibility that leads to hemolytic disease in newborns. Therefore, they are incorrect.
3. What causes Down's syndrome?
- A. Alcohol abuse by the mother at the time of conception.
- B. Sex-linked chromosomal abnormalities.
- C. An extra chromosome on the 21st pair.
- D. Drug abuse by the mother during pregnancy.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome on the 21st pair. Choice A is incorrect as alcohol abuse is not the cause of Down's syndrome. Choice B is incorrect because Down's syndrome is not related to sex-linked chromosomal abnormalities. Choice D is also incorrect as drug abuse by the mother during pregnancy is not the cause of Down's syndrome.
4. During which of the following periods does the development of arms and legs occur in a pregnancy?
- A. Development of the lungs
- B. Development of the heart
- C. Development of arms and legs
- D. Development of the stomach
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. The development of arms and legs occurs during the critical period of the fourth to eighth weeks of pregnancy. This timeframe is crucial for the formation of limbs and other key body parts. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because the development of the lungs, heart, and stomach respectively occurs at different stages of fetal development and is not primarily associated with the fourth to eighth weeks of pregnancy.
5. In the prenatal record, the nurse should record for the pregnant client who has a 3-year-old child at home, a term birth, a miscarriage at 10 weeks’ gestation, and a set of twins who died within 24 hours:
- A. Gravida 2, para 1.
- B. Gravida 3, para 3.
- C. Gravida 4, para 2.
- D. Gravida 5, para 4.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'Gravida 4, para 2.' Gravida refers to the total number of pregnancies, including the current one. In this case, the client has been pregnant a total of 4 times, so gravida is 4. Para is the number of pregnancies that have reached viability, which is 2 in this case. The client has had a term birth and a set of twins who died within 24 hours, totaling 2 pregnancies that reached viability. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not accurately reflect the client's obstetric history based on the information provided.
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