Electronic Fetal Monitoring Practice Questions AND
ANSWERS ALL CORRECT
A nurse is explaining to a pregnant patient the purpose of electronic fetal monitoring. Which of
the following statements by the nurse is the most accurate way to describe the purpose of EFM?
a. "EFM is a diagnostic procedure that monitors your baby's heart rate or FHR and your uterine
contractions.
b. "EFM is a screening procedure that monitors your baby's heart rate or FHR and your uterine
contractions."
c."EFM is a screening procedure that only monitors your baby's heart rate or FHR."
d. "EFM is a diagnostic procedure that only monitors the frequency, duration, and intensity of
your uterine contractions." Correct Answer: b. "EFM is a screening procedure that monitors
your baby's heart rate or FHR and your uterine contractions."
The nurse measures fetal well being during labor by paying attention to:
a. the response of the FHR to uterine contractions
b. mom's complaint of pain during the labor
c. the FHR only
d. the frequency, duration, and intensity of the mother's uterine contractions only Correct
Answer: a. the response of the FHR to uterine contractions
A nursing student explains during her presentation that the 5 factors for adequate fetal
oxygenation include:
1. normal maternal __________ _________and volume to the placenta
2. normal ___________ ___________in the maternal blood
3. adequate exchange of ___________ and CO2 in the placenta
4. an open ___________path between the placenta and the fetus through vessels in the umbillical
cord
5. normal fetal circulatory and ____________ -carry functions Correct Answer: 1. normal
maternal blood flow and volume to placenta
2. normal oxygen saturation in the maternal blood
3. adequate exchange of oxygen and CO2 in the palcenta
4. an open circulatory path between the placenta and the fetus through vessels in the umbillical
cord
5. normal fetal circulatory and oxygen-carrying functions
While monitoring a baby's fetal well being using EFM, the nurse recognizes that the baby's
baseline fetal heart rate is identified as the:
a. average rate of a 30 minute segment that excludes periodic or episodic changes
b. average rate of a 10 minute segment that excludes periodic or episodic changes
c. average rate of a 20 minute segment that does not include periodic or episodic changes Correct
Answer: b. average rate of a 10 minute segment that excludes periodic or episodic changes
, A nurse determines that term baby's baseline fetal heart rate is 140 beats per minute. A nurse
explains to her patient that this fetal heart rate is:
a. abnormal because it is not in the normal range of 90-100 bears perm minute for a term or post
term fetus
b. normal because it is in the range of 110-160 bpm for a term or post term fetus
c. abnormal because it is not in the normal range of 160-200 bpm for a term or post term fetus
Correct Answer: b. normal because it is in the range of 110-160 bpm for a term or post term
fetus
The nurse documents that the baseline heart rate for a fetus is between 120-160 beats per minute.
Based on this finding, the nurse can determine that the fetus is:
a. post term
b. term
c. premature
d. both a and b Correct Answer: c. premature
While keeping track of a patient's uterine contractions, the nurse documents that the
measurements of the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next is occurring too
frequently at quicker than every 2 minutes. The nurse is measuring which of the following
aspects of a uterine contraction?
a. duration
b. frequency
c. intensity
d. resting tone or interval Correct Answer: b. frequency
One of the maternal nurses explains to a nursing student that the duration of a contraction, which
is measured from the beginning to the end of one contraction, usually lasts:
a. about 50 seconds or less
b. about 60 seconds, NO longer than 90 seconds
c. about 90 seconds or more
d. about 40 to 50 seconds Correct Answer: b. about 60 seconds, NO longer than 90 seconds
A nurse is assessing the relaxation or intrauterine pressures between contractions on a EFM strip.
The nurse is assessing which of the following components of the uterine contractions?
a. duration
b. frequency
c. intensity
d. resting tone or interval Correct Answer: d. resting tone or interval
Which of the following is the priority nursing action of a nurse preparing to begin EFM on a
patient?
a. place the tocotransducer on the patient's abdomen where the fundus is
b. explain the purpose of the EFM and the procedure of EFM Placement to the patient
c. begin using the ultrasound transducer to find the fetal heart rate
ANSWERS ALL CORRECT
A nurse is explaining to a pregnant patient the purpose of electronic fetal monitoring. Which of
the following statements by the nurse is the most accurate way to describe the purpose of EFM?
a. "EFM is a diagnostic procedure that monitors your baby's heart rate or FHR and your uterine
contractions.
b. "EFM is a screening procedure that monitors your baby's heart rate or FHR and your uterine
contractions."
c."EFM is a screening procedure that only monitors your baby's heart rate or FHR."
d. "EFM is a diagnostic procedure that only monitors the frequency, duration, and intensity of
your uterine contractions." Correct Answer: b. "EFM is a screening procedure that monitors
your baby's heart rate or FHR and your uterine contractions."
The nurse measures fetal well being during labor by paying attention to:
a. the response of the FHR to uterine contractions
b. mom's complaint of pain during the labor
c. the FHR only
d. the frequency, duration, and intensity of the mother's uterine contractions only Correct
Answer: a. the response of the FHR to uterine contractions
A nursing student explains during her presentation that the 5 factors for adequate fetal
oxygenation include:
1. normal maternal __________ _________and volume to the placenta
2. normal ___________ ___________in the maternal blood
3. adequate exchange of ___________ and CO2 in the placenta
4. an open ___________path between the placenta and the fetus through vessels in the umbillical
cord
5. normal fetal circulatory and ____________ -carry functions Correct Answer: 1. normal
maternal blood flow and volume to placenta
2. normal oxygen saturation in the maternal blood
3. adequate exchange of oxygen and CO2 in the palcenta
4. an open circulatory path between the placenta and the fetus through vessels in the umbillical
cord
5. normal fetal circulatory and oxygen-carrying functions
While monitoring a baby's fetal well being using EFM, the nurse recognizes that the baby's
baseline fetal heart rate is identified as the:
a. average rate of a 30 minute segment that excludes periodic or episodic changes
b. average rate of a 10 minute segment that excludes periodic or episodic changes
c. average rate of a 20 minute segment that does not include periodic or episodic changes Correct
Answer: b. average rate of a 10 minute segment that excludes periodic or episodic changes
, A nurse determines that term baby's baseline fetal heart rate is 140 beats per minute. A nurse
explains to her patient that this fetal heart rate is:
a. abnormal because it is not in the normal range of 90-100 bears perm minute for a term or post
term fetus
b. normal because it is in the range of 110-160 bpm for a term or post term fetus
c. abnormal because it is not in the normal range of 160-200 bpm for a term or post term fetus
Correct Answer: b. normal because it is in the range of 110-160 bpm for a term or post term
fetus
The nurse documents that the baseline heart rate for a fetus is between 120-160 beats per minute.
Based on this finding, the nurse can determine that the fetus is:
a. post term
b. term
c. premature
d. both a and b Correct Answer: c. premature
While keeping track of a patient's uterine contractions, the nurse documents that the
measurements of the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next is occurring too
frequently at quicker than every 2 minutes. The nurse is measuring which of the following
aspects of a uterine contraction?
a. duration
b. frequency
c. intensity
d. resting tone or interval Correct Answer: b. frequency
One of the maternal nurses explains to a nursing student that the duration of a contraction, which
is measured from the beginning to the end of one contraction, usually lasts:
a. about 50 seconds or less
b. about 60 seconds, NO longer than 90 seconds
c. about 90 seconds or more
d. about 40 to 50 seconds Correct Answer: b. about 60 seconds, NO longer than 90 seconds
A nurse is assessing the relaxation or intrauterine pressures between contractions on a EFM strip.
The nurse is assessing which of the following components of the uterine contractions?
a. duration
b. frequency
c. intensity
d. resting tone or interval Correct Answer: d. resting tone or interval
Which of the following is the priority nursing action of a nurse preparing to begin EFM on a
patient?
a. place the tocotransducer on the patient's abdomen where the fundus is
b. explain the purpose of the EFM and the procedure of EFM Placement to the patient
c. begin using the ultrasound transducer to find the fetal heart rate
