HESI OB MATERNITY VERSION 2 EXAM PREP
2026 STUDY SHEET CORRECT ANSWER
◉ A woman who thinks she could be pregnant calls her neighbor,
who is a nurse, to ask when she should use a home pregnancy test.
Which response is appropriate?` Answer: A. "A home pregnancy test
can be used right after your first missed period."
◉ When explaining "postpartum blues" to a client who is 1 day
postpartum, which symptoms should the nurse include in the
teaching plan? (Select all that apply)` Answer: A. Mood swings
C. Tearfulness
◉ One hour after giving birth to an 8-pound infant, a client's lochia
rubra has increased from small to large and her fundus is boggy
despite massage. HR is 84 bpm, BP 156/96. The M.D. prescribe
Methergine 0.2 mg IM x 1. Which action should the nurse take
immediately?` Answer: D. Call the HP to question the prescription
◉ The nurse should encourage the laboring patient to begin pushing
when` Answer: C. the cervix is completely dilated
◉ A client at 32-weeks gestation is hospitalized with severe
pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and magnesium sulfate is
,prescribed to control the symptoms. Which assessment finding
indicates the therapeutic drug level has been achieved?` Answer: C.
A decrease in RR from 24 to 16
◉ Twenty-four hours after admission to the newborn nursery, a full-
term male infant develops localized edema on the right side of his
head. The nurse knows that, in the newborn, an accumulation of
blood between the periosteum and skull which does not cross the
suture line is a newborn variation known as` Answer: A. a
cephalhematoma, caused by forceps trauma and may last up to 8
weeks
◉ A couple has been trying to conceive for nine months without
success. Which information obtained from the clients is most likely
to have an impact on the couple's ability to conceive a child?`
Answer: D. They use lubricants with each sexual encounter to
decrease friction
◉ Which action should the nurse implement when preparing to
measure the fundal height of a pregnant client?` Answer: A. Have the
client empty the bladder
◉ An off-duty nurse finds a woman in a supermarket parking lot
delivering an infant while her husband is screaming for someone to
help his wife. Which intervention has the highest priority?` Answer:
D. Put the newborn to breast
,◉ A client at 28-weeks gestation calls the antepartal clinic and states
that she is experiencing a small amount of vaginal bleeding which
she describes as bright red. She further states that she is not
experiencing any uterine contractions or abdominal pain. Which
instruction should the nurse provide?` Answer: A. Come to the clinic
today for an ultrasound
◉ An expectant father tells the nurse he fears that his wife "is losing
her mind." He states she is constantly rubbing her abdomen and
talking to the baby, and that she actually reprimands the baby when
it moves too much. What recommendation should the nurse make to
this expectant father?` Answer: D. Let him know that these are
normal maternal/fetal bonding behaviors which occur once the
mother feels fetal movement
◉ The nurse assesses a client admitted to the labor and delivery unit
and obtains the following data: dark red vaginal bleeding, uterus
slightly tense between contractions, BP 110/68, FHR 110
beats/minute, cervix 1 cm dilated and uneffaced. Based on these
assessment findings, what intervention should the nurse
implement?` Answer: D. Perform Leopold's maneuvers
◉ A client in active labor is admitted with preeclampsia. Which
assessment finding is most significant in planning this client's care?`
Answer: B. Extend the leg and dorsiflex the foot
, ◉ Which maternal behavior is the nurse most likely to see when a
new mother receives her infant for the first time?` Answer: B. Her
arms and hands receive the infant and she then traces the infant's
profile with her fingertips
◉ The nurse should explain to a 30-year-old gravid client that alpha
fetoprotein testing is recommended for which purpose?` Answer: B.
Screen for neural tube defects
◉ A new mother is afraid to touch her baby's head for fear of hurting
the "large soft spot." Which explanation should the nurse give to this
anxious client?` Answer: D. "There's a strong, tough membrane there
to protect the baby so you need not be afraid to wash or comb their
hair"
◉ The nurse is counseling a woman who wants to become pregnant.
The woman tells the nurse that she has a 36-day menstrual cycle
and the first day of her last menstrual period was January 8. The
nurse correctly calculates that the woman's next fertile period is`
Answer: C. January 30-31
◉ The nurse caring for a laboring client encourages her to void at
least q2h, and records each time the client empties her bladder.
What is the primary reason for implementing this nursing
intervention?` Answer: B. An over-distended bladder could be
traumatized during labor, as well as prolong the progress of labor
2026 STUDY SHEET CORRECT ANSWER
◉ A woman who thinks she could be pregnant calls her neighbor,
who is a nurse, to ask when she should use a home pregnancy test.
Which response is appropriate?` Answer: A. "A home pregnancy test
can be used right after your first missed period."
◉ When explaining "postpartum blues" to a client who is 1 day
postpartum, which symptoms should the nurse include in the
teaching plan? (Select all that apply)` Answer: A. Mood swings
C. Tearfulness
◉ One hour after giving birth to an 8-pound infant, a client's lochia
rubra has increased from small to large and her fundus is boggy
despite massage. HR is 84 bpm, BP 156/96. The M.D. prescribe
Methergine 0.2 mg IM x 1. Which action should the nurse take
immediately?` Answer: D. Call the HP to question the prescription
◉ The nurse should encourage the laboring patient to begin pushing
when` Answer: C. the cervix is completely dilated
◉ A client at 32-weeks gestation is hospitalized with severe
pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and magnesium sulfate is
,prescribed to control the symptoms. Which assessment finding
indicates the therapeutic drug level has been achieved?` Answer: C.
A decrease in RR from 24 to 16
◉ Twenty-four hours after admission to the newborn nursery, a full-
term male infant develops localized edema on the right side of his
head. The nurse knows that, in the newborn, an accumulation of
blood between the periosteum and skull which does not cross the
suture line is a newborn variation known as` Answer: A. a
cephalhematoma, caused by forceps trauma and may last up to 8
weeks
◉ A couple has been trying to conceive for nine months without
success. Which information obtained from the clients is most likely
to have an impact on the couple's ability to conceive a child?`
Answer: D. They use lubricants with each sexual encounter to
decrease friction
◉ Which action should the nurse implement when preparing to
measure the fundal height of a pregnant client?` Answer: A. Have the
client empty the bladder
◉ An off-duty nurse finds a woman in a supermarket parking lot
delivering an infant while her husband is screaming for someone to
help his wife. Which intervention has the highest priority?` Answer:
D. Put the newborn to breast
,◉ A client at 28-weeks gestation calls the antepartal clinic and states
that she is experiencing a small amount of vaginal bleeding which
she describes as bright red. She further states that she is not
experiencing any uterine contractions or abdominal pain. Which
instruction should the nurse provide?` Answer: A. Come to the clinic
today for an ultrasound
◉ An expectant father tells the nurse he fears that his wife "is losing
her mind." He states she is constantly rubbing her abdomen and
talking to the baby, and that she actually reprimands the baby when
it moves too much. What recommendation should the nurse make to
this expectant father?` Answer: D. Let him know that these are
normal maternal/fetal bonding behaviors which occur once the
mother feels fetal movement
◉ The nurse assesses a client admitted to the labor and delivery unit
and obtains the following data: dark red vaginal bleeding, uterus
slightly tense between contractions, BP 110/68, FHR 110
beats/minute, cervix 1 cm dilated and uneffaced. Based on these
assessment findings, what intervention should the nurse
implement?` Answer: D. Perform Leopold's maneuvers
◉ A client in active labor is admitted with preeclampsia. Which
assessment finding is most significant in planning this client's care?`
Answer: B. Extend the leg and dorsiflex the foot
, ◉ Which maternal behavior is the nurse most likely to see when a
new mother receives her infant for the first time?` Answer: B. Her
arms and hands receive the infant and she then traces the infant's
profile with her fingertips
◉ The nurse should explain to a 30-year-old gravid client that alpha
fetoprotein testing is recommended for which purpose?` Answer: B.
Screen for neural tube defects
◉ A new mother is afraid to touch her baby's head for fear of hurting
the "large soft spot." Which explanation should the nurse give to this
anxious client?` Answer: D. "There's a strong, tough membrane there
to protect the baby so you need not be afraid to wash or comb their
hair"
◉ The nurse is counseling a woman who wants to become pregnant.
The woman tells the nurse that she has a 36-day menstrual cycle
and the first day of her last menstrual period was January 8. The
nurse correctly calculates that the woman's next fertile period is`
Answer: C. January 30-31
◉ The nurse caring for a laboring client encourages her to void at
least q2h, and records each time the client empties her bladder.
What is the primary reason for implementing this nursing
intervention?` Answer: B. An over-distended bladder could be
traumatized during labor, as well as prolong the progress of labor
