The most critical nursing action when caring for the newborn ...

[humphriesbr@me.com]

The most critical nursing action when caring for the newborn immediately after birth is:
 
  1. keeping the newborn's airway clear.
  2. fostering parent-newborn attachment.
  3. drying the newborn and wrapping him or her in a blanket.
  4. administering eye drops and vitamin K.

Question 2

Infant development is best described by which of the following statements?
 
  A) Development varies greatly from infant to infant.
  B) Development is not sequential but predictable.
  C) Development proceeds from fine to gross.
  D) Development proceeds cephalocaudally.

[BUTTHOL369]

Answer to Question 1

1
1. Correct. The care given immediately after the birth focuses on assessing and stabilizing the newborn.
2. Incorrect. Although fostering parent-infant attachment is an important task for the nurse, it is not the most critical nursing action when caring for the newborn immediately after birth.
3. Incorrect. The care given immediately after birth focuses on assessing and stabilizing the newborn. The nursing activities would be (in order of importance) to maintain a patent airway, to support respiratory effort, and to prevent cold stress by drying the newborn and covering the newborn with a warmed blanket or placing the newborn under a radiant warmer.
4. Incorrect. After the newborn has been stabilized, the nurse will assess the newborn's physical condition, weigh and measure the infant, administer prophylactic eye ointment and a vitamin K injection, affix an identification bracelet, wrap the newborn in warm blankets, and then give the partner or the mother the infant when ready.

Answer to Question 2

D