RN HESI MATERNITY FINAL EXAM PRACTICE
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS
2026
▶ A client at 35-weeks gestation complains of a "pain whenever the baby
moves." On assessment, the nurse notes the client's temperature to be
101.2F, with severe abdominal or uterine tenderness on palpation. The
nurse knows that these findings are indicative of what condition?
A. Round ligament strain
B. Chorioamnionitis
C. Abruptio placenta
D. Viral infection. Answer: B. Chorioamnionitis
▶ A male infant with a 2-day history of fever and diarrhea is brought to a
clinic by his mother who tells the nurse that the child refuses to drink
anything. The nurse determines that the child has a weak cry with no tears.
Which prescription is most important to implement?
A. Provide a bottle of electrolyte solution
B. Infuse normal saline intravenously
C. Administer an antipyretic rectally
D. Apply external cooling blanket Answer: B. Infuse normal saline
intravenously
▶ A 6-month old child who had a cleft-lip repair has elbow restraints in
place. What nursing intervention should the nurse plan to implement?
A. remove restraints q4h for 30 minutes and place gloves on the child's
hands
B. record observations of the restraints q2h and ensure that they are in
place at all times
C. obtain the HCP advice as to when the restraints should be removed
D. remove restraints one at a time to provide ROM exercises Answer: D.
remove restraints one at a time to provide ROM exercises
,▶ A new mother calls the nurse stating that she wants to start feeding her
6-month-old child something besides breast milk, but is concerned that the
infant is too young to start eating solid foods. How should the nurse
respond?
A. encourage the mother to schedule a developmental assessment of the
infant
B. advise the mother to wait at least another month before starting any
solid foods
C. instruct the mother to offer a few spoons of 2-3 pureed fruit at each meal
D. reassure the mother that the infant is old enough to eat iron-fortified
cereal Answer: D. reassure the mother that the infant is old enough to eat
iron-fortified cereal
▶ While caring for a laboring client on continuous fetal monitoring, the
nurse notes a fetal heart rate pattern that falls and rises abruptly with a "V"
shaped appearance. What action should the nurse take first?
A. Prepare for a potential cesarean
B. Allow the client to begin pushing
C. Administer oxygen at 10/L by mask
D. Change the maternal position Answer: D. Change the maternal position
▶ A postpartum client who is Rh-negative refuses to receive Rho (D)
immune globulin (RhoGam) after delivery of an infant who is Rh-positive.
Which information should the nure provide this client?
A. RhoGam is not necessary unless all her pregnancies are Rh-positive
B. The R-positive factor from the fetus threatens her blood cells
C. The mother should receive RhoGam when the baby is Rh-negative
D. RhoGam prevents maternal antibody formation for future Rh-positive
babies Answer: D. RhoGam prevents maternal antibody formation for
future Rh-positive babies
▶ A 6-week-old infant diagnosed with pyloric stenosis has recently
developed projectile vomiting. Which assessment finding indicates to the
nurse that the infant is becoming dehydrated?
A. Weak cry without any tears
B. Bulging fontanel
C. Visible peristaltic wave.
, D. Palpable mass in the right upper quadrant Answer: A. Weak cry without
any tears
▶ A full-term, 24-hour-old infant in the nursery regurgitates and suddenly
turns cyanotic. What should the nurse do first?
A. Suction the oral and nasal passages
B. Give oxygen by positive pressure
C. Stimulate the infant to cry
D. Turn the infant onto the right side Answer: C. Stimulate the infant to cry
▶ A client at 40-weeks' gestation presents to the obstetrical floor and
indicates that the amniotic membranes ruptured spontaneously at home.
She is in active labor and feels the need to bear down and push. What
information is most important for the nurse to obtain first?
A. the estimated amount of fluid
B. time the membranes ruptured
C. color and consistency of the fluid
D. any odor noted when membranes ruptured. Answer: C. color and
consistency of the fluid
▶ An infant with tetralogy of Fallot becomes acutely cyanotic and hyper
apneic. Which action should the nurse implement first?A. Administer
morphine sulphate.
B. Start IV fluids.
C. Place the infant in a knee-chest position
D. Provide 100% oxygen by face mask. Answer: C. Place the infant in a
knee-chest position
▶ A one-day-old neonate develops a cephalohematoma. The nurse should
closely assess this neonate for which common complication?
A. jaundice
B. poor appetite
C. brain damage
D. hypoglycemia Answer: A. jaundice
▶ The nurse is reviewing the serum laboratory finding for a 5-day-old infant
with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Which laboratory results should be
reported to the healthcare provider immediatly?
A. Bilirubin of 1.5 mg/dl
B. Glucose of 80 mg/dl
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS
2026
▶ A client at 35-weeks gestation complains of a "pain whenever the baby
moves." On assessment, the nurse notes the client's temperature to be
101.2F, with severe abdominal or uterine tenderness on palpation. The
nurse knows that these findings are indicative of what condition?
A. Round ligament strain
B. Chorioamnionitis
C. Abruptio placenta
D. Viral infection. Answer: B. Chorioamnionitis
▶ A male infant with a 2-day history of fever and diarrhea is brought to a
clinic by his mother who tells the nurse that the child refuses to drink
anything. The nurse determines that the child has a weak cry with no tears.
Which prescription is most important to implement?
A. Provide a bottle of electrolyte solution
B. Infuse normal saline intravenously
C. Administer an antipyretic rectally
D. Apply external cooling blanket Answer: B. Infuse normal saline
intravenously
▶ A 6-month old child who had a cleft-lip repair has elbow restraints in
place. What nursing intervention should the nurse plan to implement?
A. remove restraints q4h for 30 minutes and place gloves on the child's
hands
B. record observations of the restraints q2h and ensure that they are in
place at all times
C. obtain the HCP advice as to when the restraints should be removed
D. remove restraints one at a time to provide ROM exercises Answer: D.
remove restraints one at a time to provide ROM exercises
,▶ A new mother calls the nurse stating that she wants to start feeding her
6-month-old child something besides breast milk, but is concerned that the
infant is too young to start eating solid foods. How should the nurse
respond?
A. encourage the mother to schedule a developmental assessment of the
infant
B. advise the mother to wait at least another month before starting any
solid foods
C. instruct the mother to offer a few spoons of 2-3 pureed fruit at each meal
D. reassure the mother that the infant is old enough to eat iron-fortified
cereal Answer: D. reassure the mother that the infant is old enough to eat
iron-fortified cereal
▶ While caring for a laboring client on continuous fetal monitoring, the
nurse notes a fetal heart rate pattern that falls and rises abruptly with a "V"
shaped appearance. What action should the nurse take first?
A. Prepare for a potential cesarean
B. Allow the client to begin pushing
C. Administer oxygen at 10/L by mask
D. Change the maternal position Answer: D. Change the maternal position
▶ A postpartum client who is Rh-negative refuses to receive Rho (D)
immune globulin (RhoGam) after delivery of an infant who is Rh-positive.
Which information should the nure provide this client?
A. RhoGam is not necessary unless all her pregnancies are Rh-positive
B. The R-positive factor from the fetus threatens her blood cells
C. The mother should receive RhoGam when the baby is Rh-negative
D. RhoGam prevents maternal antibody formation for future Rh-positive
babies Answer: D. RhoGam prevents maternal antibody formation for
future Rh-positive babies
▶ A 6-week-old infant diagnosed with pyloric stenosis has recently
developed projectile vomiting. Which assessment finding indicates to the
nurse that the infant is becoming dehydrated?
A. Weak cry without any tears
B. Bulging fontanel
C. Visible peristaltic wave.
, D. Palpable mass in the right upper quadrant Answer: A. Weak cry without
any tears
▶ A full-term, 24-hour-old infant in the nursery regurgitates and suddenly
turns cyanotic. What should the nurse do first?
A. Suction the oral and nasal passages
B. Give oxygen by positive pressure
C. Stimulate the infant to cry
D. Turn the infant onto the right side Answer: C. Stimulate the infant to cry
▶ A client at 40-weeks' gestation presents to the obstetrical floor and
indicates that the amniotic membranes ruptured spontaneously at home.
She is in active labor and feels the need to bear down and push. What
information is most important for the nurse to obtain first?
A. the estimated amount of fluid
B. time the membranes ruptured
C. color and consistency of the fluid
D. any odor noted when membranes ruptured. Answer: C. color and
consistency of the fluid
▶ An infant with tetralogy of Fallot becomes acutely cyanotic and hyper
apneic. Which action should the nurse implement first?A. Administer
morphine sulphate.
B. Start IV fluids.
C. Place the infant in a knee-chest position
D. Provide 100% oxygen by face mask. Answer: C. Place the infant in a
knee-chest position
▶ A one-day-old neonate develops a cephalohematoma. The nurse should
closely assess this neonate for which common complication?
A. jaundice
B. poor appetite
C. brain damage
D. hypoglycemia Answer: A. jaundice
▶ The nurse is reviewing the serum laboratory finding for a 5-day-old infant
with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Which laboratory results should be
reported to the healthcare provider immediatly?
A. Bilirubin of 1.5 mg/dl
B. Glucose of 80 mg/dl
