A student in a perinatal clinic asks the clinic nurse what an ...

[@Brianna17]

A student in a perinatal clinic asks the clinic nurse what an incomplete abortion is. Which response by the nurse is best?
 
  A.
  Complete loss of all products of conception before 20 weeks' gestation
  B.
  Fetal death before 20 weeks with retention of all products of conception
  C.
  Loss of some, but not all, products of conception before 20 weeks
  D.
  When the patient initiates an abortion, but then stops the procedure

Question 2

A woman who recently had a miscarriage is in the clinic for follow-up. She sees the diagnosis spontaneous abortion on her chart and becomes visibly upset, stating, I did not have an abortion Which response by the nurse is best?
 
  A.
  Don't be upset; that is just a medical term used commonly.
  B.
  I can come back and talk to you when you are not so upset.
  C.
  I see you are upset. Does it help to know this means miscarriage?
  D.
  No one is accusing you of having an abortion.

[nguyenhoanhat]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
An incomplete abortion is the expulsion of some, but not all, products of conception prior to 20 weeks. Fetal death with retention of all products of conception prior to 20 weeks is called a missed abortion. Complete expulsion of all products of conception before 20 weeks is a complete spontaneous abortion. If a patient chooses to have an abortion, it is termed an elective abortion.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
The term spontaneous abortion is the medical term for miscarriage before 20 weeks' gestation. Medical terms are often confusing to laypeople, and it is the nurse's duty to inform patients of their meaning. Nurses should also be aware that the term abortion is politically and emotionally laden, so it should not be surprising that an uninformed layperson might become upset at its use. The nurse should acknowledge the woman's feelings and explain the term. Telling the woman not to be upset is paternalistic and does nothing to educate her. Offering to come back later would be a useful option after the nurse has acknowledged the woman's feelings and discovered that she does not want to talk right now; otherwise, this statement might seem like rejection. Stating that no one is accusing the woman of having an abortion is defensive.

[@Brianna17]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[jackie]

Gracias!