A nurse is helping a pregnant woman prepare for a planned home ...

[tfester]

A nurse is helping a pregnant woman prepare for a planned home birth. What action by the nurse takes priority?
 
  A.
  Advising the woman to get a prescription for pain medication filled beforehand
  B.
  Attempting to convince the woman that giving birth at the hospital is a better choice
  C.
  Ensuring the woman has safe, rapid, and available transportation to a nearby hospital
  D.
  Giving the woman a list of local obstetricians who will assist at a home birth

Question 2

A nurse is describing various childbirth options to an expectant couple. The woman states I want to do Lamaze because I hear you will have no pain with this method. Which response by the nurse is best?
 
  A.
  If done right, you will have no childbirth pain.
  B.
  Lamaze empowers you to cope with the pain.
  C.
  No, Lamaze emphasizes epidural pain control.
  D.
  Pain is a natural and normal part of childbirth.

[Mholman93]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Home births are an option for women who have low-risk pregnancies and no labor complications. However, according to a position statement by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), women who choose to deliver at home should be well- informed and should ensure access to rapid and timely transportation to the closest hospital in case of emergency (ACOG, 2011). Obstetricians will not deliver babies at home. Although pain management may be an important consideration, this is not as important as ensuring the safety of both mother and baby. Trying to convince the woman to go against her beliefs is disrespectful.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Although Lamaze does teach that pain is a natural and normal part of childbirth, it also empowers the woman with strategies to cope with the pain in positive ways that facilitate the labor and birth process. It does not promise a pain-free childbirth and decisions about medications are left to the woman who has been educated about their effect on childbirth. Stating simply that pain is a normal part of childbirth without elaborating on how it is managed will not alleviate the patient's concern.