BIOPHYSCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS

OF PREGNANCY
1. Which of the following urinary symptoms
does the pregnant woman most frequently
experience during the first trimester?
a. Dsyuria
b. Frequency
c. Incontinence
d. Burning

2. Heartburn and flatulence, common in the

second trimester, are most likely the result
of which of the following?
a. Increased plasma HCG levels
b. Decreased intestinal motility
c. Decreased gastric acidity
d. Elevated estrogen levels

3. On which of the following areas would the

nurse expect to observe chloasma?
a. Breast, areola, and nipples
b. Chest, neck, arms, and legs
c. Abdomen, breast, and thighs
d. Cheeks, forehead, and nose

4. A pregnant client states that she

waddles when she walks. The nurses
explanation is based on which of the
following as the cause?
a. The large size of the abdomen
b. Pressure on the pelvic muscles
c. relaxation of pelvic joints
d. excessive weight gain

5. Which of the following would be the nurses best

response to a woman who, at 5 months
gestation, reports that she has felt intermittent,
painless, irregular contractions of her uterus?
a. It is important to time these contractions
because it may be the beginning of labor.
b. If these contractions occur again, call your
physician immediately.
c. The contractions help stimulates the
movement of blood through the placenta.
d. They are called Braxton Hicks contraction.
They may occur throughtout pregnancy.

6. When talking with a pregnant client who is

experienced aching, swollen leg veins, the
nurse would explain that this is most
probably the result of which of the
following?
a. Thrombophlebitis
b. Pregnancy-induced hypertension
c. Pressure on blood vessels from the
enlarging uterus
d. The force of gravity pulling down on the
uterus

7. Cervical softening and uterus souffl are

classified as which of the following?
a. Diagnostic signs
b. Presumptive signs
c. Probable signs
d. Positive signs

8. Which of the following would the nurse

identify as a presumptive sign of
pregnancy?
a. Hegar sign
b. Nausea and vomiting
c. Fetal heart tone
d. Positive serum pregnancy test

9. Which of the following common emotional

reactions to pregnancy would the nurse
expect to occur during the first trimester?
a. Introversion, egocentrism, narcissism
b. Awkwardness, clumsiness and
unattractiveness
c. Anxiety, passivity, extroversion
d. Ambivalence, fear, fantasies

10. During a prenatal visit, the nurse was

able to feel fetal movements and
auscultate the fetal heart rate with a
fetoscope. These changes of pregnancy
are known as
a. expected changes
b. presumptive changes
c. probable changes
d. positive changes

11. Women experience probable or objective

changes during pregnancy- known as
probable signs of pregnancy. Which one of
the following is NOT a probable sign of
pregnancy?
a. Goodells sign
b. nausea
c. ballotement
d. positive pregnancy test

12. A pregnant woman experiences and

accomplishes various psychosocial tasks
of pregnancy. One of the first tasks she
must accomplish is the acceptance of
a. the infant by others
b. the fetus as part of self
c. safe passage through labor and delivery
d. the infants gender

13. At what gestational age would a

primigravida expect to feel quickening?
a. 12 weeks
b. 16-18 weeks
c. 20-22 weeks
d. by the end of the 26th week

14. Which findings would be considered

positive signs of pregnancy?
a. Fatigue and skin changes
b. Quickening and breast changes
c. Fetal heartbeat and fetal movement on
palpation
d. Abdominal enlargement and Braxton
Hicks contractions

15. The nurse is performing a physical

examination of a primigravida client whos
8 weeks pregnant. At this time, the nurse
expect to assess:
a. Hegars sign
b. fetal outline
c. ballotement
d. quickening

16. A client calls to schedule a pregnancy

test. The nurse knows that most
pregnancy tests measure which hormone?
a. human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg)
b. human placental lactogen
c. progesterone
d. estrogen

17. The nurse is caring for a client in the first

4 weeks of pregnancy. The nurse should
expect to collect which assessment
findings?
a. presence of menses
b. uterine enlargement
c. breast sensitivity
d. fetal heart tones

18. Which of the following would the nurse

expect to assess as presumptive signs of
pregnancy?
a. amenorrhea and quickening
b. uterine enlargement and Chadwicks
sign
c. a positive pregnancy test and a fetal
outline
d. Braxton hicks contractions and Hegars
sign

19. A woman whos 10 weeks pregnant tells

the nurse that shes worried about her
fatigue and frequent urination. The nurse
should:
a. recognize these as normal early
pregnancy signs and symptoms
b. question her further about these signs
and symptoms
c. tell her that shell need blood work and
urinalysis
d. tell her that she may be excessively
worried

20. The nurse is discussing posture with a

client whos 18 weeks pregnant. Why
should the nurse caution her to avoid the
supine position?
a. this position impedes blood flow to the
fetus
b. this position may trigger heart
palpitations
c. this position may cause
gastroesophageal reflux
d. this position promotes pregnancyinduced hypertension (PIH)

21. During a physical examination, a client

whos 32 weeks pregnant becomes pale,
dizzy, and light headed while supine.
Which action should the nurse
immediately take?
a. turn the client on her left side
b. ask client to breath deeply
c. listen to fetal heart tones
d. measure clients blood pressure

Fetal and growth and development

1. Which of the following terms refers to the
thickened endometrium in which the
fertilized embryo implants?
a. Endoderm
b. Decidua
c. Amnion
d. Chorion

2. The fetal nervous system is formed by the

germ layer known as which of the
following?
a. ectoderm
b. mesoderm
c. endoderm
d. entoderm

3. The corpus luteum acts as the placenta

for the implanted ovum until the end of
which of the following gestational months?
a. first
b. second
c. fourth
d. fifth

4. An expectant mother in the prenatal clinic

states, Im sure Im going to have a boy
because my husband says he knows its a
boy. Which of the following would be the
nurses best response?
a. You could be right that its a boy.
b. The woman determines the sex of the
newborn.
c. There are more girls born than boys.
d. The man determines the sex of the
newborn.

5. Which of the following would the nurse

estimate as the approximate gestational
age for a 19-cm fetus expelled by a client?
a. 2 months
b. 3 months
c. 4 months
d. 5 months

6. Which of the following substances is

measured in the maternal serum when a
neural tube defect is suspected?
a. Estrogen
b. Progesterone
c. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
d. Luteinizing hormone (LH)

7. By which of the following does the

placenta transport nutrients and oxygen to
the fetus?
a. capacitation
b. diffusion
c. fertilization
d. ustulation

8. An expectant mother asks the nurse in

the prenatal clinic, When can I expect to
feel my baby move? Which of the
following would be the nurses best
response?
a. At about 2 months
b. At about 3 months
c. At about 4 months
d. At about 5 months

9. An expectant mother in the prenatal clinic

informs the nurse that she smokes and
asks if she could continue to do so. Which
of the following responses best
demonstrates the nurses understanding
of smokings effect on a pregnancy?
a. How much do you smoke?
b. You should decrease the number if
cigarettes used.
c. Smoking may adversely affect your
babys development.
d. That is something you should ask the
physician.

10. Which of the following responses by the

nurse would be most appropriate for an
expectant mother in the prenatal clinic
who confides that she has frequent
headaches and has always taken aspirin?
a. Did you take aspirin in the first 4 weeks
of your pregnancy?
b. The physician may recommend
another medication for your headaches.
c. Could you tell me more about these
headaches and when you get them?
d. We do not recommend using any
medication during pregnancy.

11. A pregnant woman in the outpatient

department asked the nurse what position
she should lay so the baby would get the
most oxygen. Which of the following is the
best answer?
a. On your back with two pillows under
your head.
b. On your left side.
c. On your right side.
d. It really doesnt matter.

12. Which of the following functions would

the nurse expect to be unrelated to the
placenta?
a. production of estrogen and progesterone
b. detoxification of some drugs and
chemicals
c. exchange site for food, gases, and waste
d. production of maternal antibodies

13. Which of the following describes the

fetal position?
a. relationship of the fetus presenting part
to the mothers pelvis
b. fetal posture
c. fetal head or breech at cervical os
d. relationship of the fetal long axis to the
mothers long axis

14.Which of the following is derived from the

mesoderm?
a. lining of GI tract
b. liver
c. brain
d. skeletal system

15. At 15 weeks gestation, a client is

scheduled for a serum alpha-fetoprotein

(AFP) test. Which maternal history finding
best explains the need for this test?
a. family history of spina bifida in a sister
b. family history of Down syndrome on the
fathers side
c. history of gestational diabetes during a
previous pregnancy
d. history of spotting during the 1st month
of the current pregnancy

16. When caring for a woman with a positive

contraction stress test, the nurse should
be chiefly concerned with observing her
for signs and symptoms of:
a. preeclampsia
b. placenta previa
c. imminent premature delivery
d. uteroplacental insufficiency

17. A middle-aged client has an

amniocentesis during the sixteenth week

of gestation because of concern about
Down syndrome. Examination of the
amniotic fluid also will provide information
regarding:
a. fetal diabetes
b. fetal lung maturity
c. cardiac anomalies
d. presence of neural tube defects

18. Before an amniocentesis, a client is

asked to drink 8 oz of fluid. This is done to:
a. improve ultrasonic visualization of the
fetus
b. hydrate the mother and increase
circulation
c. hydrate the fetus and decrease its
movement
d. replace fluid that may be lost during the
procedure