Maternal & Child (Newborn Care) Practice Questions with Answers with Rationale

Maternal & Child (Newborn Care) Practice Questions with
Answers with Rationale
1) A nurse in a delivery room is assisting with the delivery of a newborn infant. After the
delivery, the nurse prepares to prevent heat loss in the newborn resulting from evaporation
by:
A. Warming the crib pad

B. Turning on the overhead radiant warmer

C. Closing the doors to the room

D. Drying the infant in a warm blanket

2) A nurse is assessing a newborn infant following circumcision and notes that the
circumcised area is red with a small amount of bloody drainage. Which of the following nursing
actions would be most appropriate?
A. Document the findings

B. Contact the physician

C. Circle the amount of bloody drainage on the dressing and reassess in 30 minutes

D. Reinforce the dressing

3) A nurse in the newborn nursery is monitoring a preterm newborn infant for respiratory
distress syndrome. Which assessment signs if noted in the newborn infant would alert the
nurse to the possibility of this syndrome?
A. Hypotension and Bradycardia

B. Tachypnea and retractions

C. Acrocyanosis and grunting

D. The presence of a barrel chest with grunting

4) A nurse in a newborn nursery is performing an assessment of a newborn infant. The
nurse is preparing to measure the head circumference of the infant. The nurse would most
appropriately:
A. Wrap the tape measure around the infant’s head and measure just above the eyebrows.

B. Place the tape measure under the infants head at the base of the skull and wrap around
to the front just above the eyes
C. Place the tape measure under the infants head, wrap around the occiput, and
measure just above the eyes
D. Place the tape measure at the back of the infant’s head, wrap around across the
ears, and measure across the infant’s mouth.

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, 5) A postpartum nurse is providing instructions to the mother of a newborn infant with
hyperbilirubinemia who is being breastfed. The nurse provides which most appropriate
instructions to the mother?
A. Switch to bottle feeding the baby for 2 weeks

B. Stop the breast feedings and switch to bottle-feeding permanently

C. Feed the newborn infant less frequently

D. Continue to breast-feed every 2-4 hours

6) A nurse on the newborn nursery floor is caring for a neonate. On assessment the infant is
exhibiting signs of cyanosis, tachypnea, nasal flaring, and grunting. Respiratory distress
syndrome is diagnosed, and the physician prescribes surfactant replacement therapy. The nurse
would prepare to administer this therapy by:
A. Subcutaneous injection

B. Intravenous injection

C. Instillation of the preparation into the lungs through an endotracheal tube

D. Intramuscular injection

7) A nurse is assessing a newborn infant who was born to a mother who is addicted to drugs.
Which of the following assessment findings would the nurse expect to note during the
assessment of this newborn?
A. Sleepiness

B. Cuddles when being held

C. Lethargy

D. Incessant crying

8) A nurse prepares to administer a vitamin K injection to a newborn infant. The mother asks
the nurse why her newborn infant needs the injection. The best response by the nurse would
be:
A. “You infant needs vitamin K to develop immunity.”

B. “The vitamin K will protect your infant from being jaundiced.”

C. “Newborn infants are deficient in vitamin K, and this injection prevents your
infant from abnormal bleeding.”
D. “Newborn infants have sterile bowels, and vitamin K promotes the growth of
bacteria in the bowel.”
9) A nurse in a newborn nursery receives a phone call to prepare for the admission of a 43-
week- gestation newborn with Apgar scores of 1 and 4. In planning for the admission of this
infant, the nurse’s highest priority should be to:

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