A nurse assessing a fetal heart monitor notes minimal baseline ...

[arivle123]

A nurse assessing a fetal heart monitor notes minimal baseline variability not associated with a fetal sleep cycle. There is no change after fetal scalp stimulation. What action by the nurse is most important?
 
  A.
  Administer a bolus of IV fluids.
  B.
  Administer oxygen at 8-10 L/min per mask.
  C.
  Offer support to the patient and her partner.
  D.
  Prepare to assist with internal fetal monitoring.

Question 2

A nurse notes fetal heart rate decelerations that appear to start just prior to a uterine contraction with the fetal heart rate returning to normal by the end of the contraction. How does the nurse document this finding?
 
  A.
  Early deceleration
  B.
  Late deceleration
  C.
  Mild deceleration
  D.
  Variable deceleration

[Danny Ewald]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
All options are correct actions for the nurse to take in this situation. However, actions should be prioritized using the A (airway), B (breathing), C (circulation) method. The breathing action (administering oxygen) should occur prior to the circulation action (IV fluids) in the absence of any other data.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
An early deceleration looks like the mirror image of a uterine contraction on the fetal heart monitor. The onset of the deceleration begins near the onset of the contraction, the lowest part of the deceleration occurs at the peak of contraction, and the fetal heart rate returns to baseline by the end of the contraction. Early decelerations are usually benign and well tolerated by the fetus. Late decelerations have a late onset and do not resolve until after the contraction has ended. Mild is not a term used to describe decelerations. Variable decelerations are inconsistent in their onset, peak, and duration.