Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Newborn Nursing Care
Newborn Nursing Care
After the delivery, the nurse prepares to prevent heat loss in the newborn
resulting from evaporation by:
A. Hypotension and Bradycardia
B. Tachypnea and retractions
C. Acrocyanosis and grunting
D. The presence of a barrel chest with grunting
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
A. Deltoid
B. Triceps
C. Vastus lateralis
D. Biceps
12. A baby is born precipitously in the ER. The nurses initial action should be to:
A. Heart rate
B. Respiratory rate
C. Presence of meconium
D. Evaluation of the Moro reflex
14. When performing a newborn assessment, the nurse should measure the
vital signs in the following sequence:
15. Within three (3) minutes after birth the normal heart rate of the infant may
range between:
16. The expected respiratory rate of a neonate within three (3) minutes of birth
may be as high as:
A. 50
B. 60
C. 80
D. 100
19. A newborn has small, whitish, pinpoint spots over the nose, which the nurse
knows are caused by retained sebaceous secretions. When charting this
observation, the nurse identifies it as:
A. Milia
B. Lanugo
C. Whiteheads
D. Mongolian spots
20. When newborns have been on formula for 36-48 hours, they should have a:
21. The nurse decides on a teaching plan for a new mother and her infant. The
plan should include:
22. Which action best explains the main role of surfactant in the neonate?
23. While assessing a 2-hour old neonate, the nurse observes the neonate to
have acrocyanosis. Which of the following nursing actions should be performed
initially?
24. The nurse is aware that a neonate of a mother with diabetes is at risk for
what complication?
A. Anemia
B. Hypoglycemia
C. Nitrogen loss
D. Thrombosis
25. A client with group AB blood whose husband has group O has just given
birth. The major sign of ABO blood incompatibility in the neonate is which
complication or test result?
A. Negative Coombs test
B. Bleeding from the nose and ear
C. Jaundice after the first 24 hours of life
D. Jaundice within the first 24 hours of life
26. A client has just given birth at 42 weeks’ gestation. When assessing the
neonate, which physical finding is expected?
A. Hypoglycemia
B. Jitteriness
C. Respiratory depression
D. Tachycardia
28. Neonates of mothers with diabetes are at risk for which complication
following birth?
A. Atelectasis
B. Microcephaly
C. Pneumothorax
D. Macrosomia
29. By keeping the nursery temperature warm and wrapping the neonate in
blankets, the nurse is preventing which type of heat loss?
A. Conduction
B. Convection
C. Evaporation
D. Radiation
30. A neonate has been diagnosed with caput succedaneum. Which statement is
correct about this condition?
A. Candida albicans
B. Chlamydia trachomatis
C. Escherichia coli
D. Group B beta-hemolytic streptococci
A. Gaze aversion
B. Hiccups
C. Quiet alert state
D. Yawning
33. When teaching umbilical cord care to a new mother, the nurse would
include which information?
A. Apply peroxide to the cord with each diaper change
B. Cover the cord with petroleum jelly after bathing
C. Keep the cord dry and open to air
D. Wash the cord with soap and water each day during a tub bath
34. A mother of a term neonate asks what the thick, white, cheesy coating is on
his skin. Which correctly describes this finding?
A. Lanugo
B. Milia
C. Nevus flammeus
D. Vernix
36. When performing nursing care for a neonate after a birth, which
intervention has the highest nursing priority?
A. Obtain a dextrostix
B. Give the initial bath
C. Give the vitamin K injection
D. Cover the neonates head with a cap
A. Abundant lanugo
B. Absence of sole creases
C. Breast bud of 1-2 mm in diameter
D. Leathery, cracked, and wrinkled skin
40. Which neonatal behavior is most commonly associated with fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS)?
A. Hypoactivity
B. High birth weight
C. Poor wake and sleep patterns
D. High threshold of stimulation
41. Which of the following behaviors would indicate that a client was bonding
with her baby?
A. The client asks her husband to give the baby a bottle of water.
B. The client talks to the baby and picks him up when he cries.
C. The client feeds the baby every three hours.
D. The client asks the nurse to recommend a good child care manual.
42. A newborn’s mother is alarmed to find small amounts of blood on her infant
girl’s diaper. When the nurse checks the infant’s urine it is straw colored and
has no offensive odor. Which explanation to the newborn’s mother is most
appropriate?
44. Soon after delivery a neonate is admitted to the central nursery. The nursery
nurse begins the initial assessment by
A. auscultate bowel sounds.
B. determining chest circumference.
C. inspecting the posture, color, and respiratory effort.
D. checking for identifying birthmarks.
45. The home health nurse visits the Cox family 2 weeks after hospital
discharge. She observes that the umbilical cord has dried and fallen off. The
area appears healed with no drainage or erythema present. The mother can be
instructed to
47. The nurse hears the mother of a 5-pound neonate telling a friend on the
telephone, “As soon as I get home, I’ll give him some cereal to get him to gain
weight?” The nurse recognizes the need for further instruction about infant
feeding and tells her
A. “If you give the baby cereal, be sure to use Rice to prevent allergy.”
B. “The baby is not able to swallow cereal, because he is too small.”
C. “The infant’s digestive tract cannot handle complex carbohydrates like cereal.”
D. “If you want him to gain weight, just double his daily intake of formula.”
48. The nurse instructs a primipara about safety considerations for the neonate.
The nurse determines that the client does not understand the instructions when
she says
Evaporation of moisture from a wet body dissipates heat along with the moisture.
Keeping the newborn dry by drying the wet newborn infant will prevent
hypothermia via evaporation.
2. Answer: A. Document the findings. The penis is normally red during the
healing process.
A yellow exudate may be noted in 24 hours, and this is a part of normal healing.
The nurse would expect that the area would be red with a small amount of bloody
drainage. If the bleeding is excessive, the nurse would apply gentle pressure with
sterile gauze. If bleeding is not controlled, then the blood vessel may need to be
ligated, and the nurse would contact the physician. Because the findings
identified in the question are normal, the nurse would document the assessment.
The infant with respiratory distress syndrome may present with signs of cyanosis,
tachypnea or apnea, nasal flaring, chest wall retractions, or audible grunts.
To measure the head circumference, the nurse should place the tape measure
under the infant’s head, wrap the tape around the occiput, and measure just
above the eyebrows so that the largest area of the occiput is included.
The aim of therapy in RDS is to support the disease until the disease runs its
course with the subsequent development of surfactant. The infant may benefit
from surfactant replacement therapy. In surfactant replacement, an exogenous
surfactant preparation is instilled into the lungs through an endotracheal tube.
The highest priority on admission to the nursery for a newborn with low Apgar
scores is airway, which would involve preparing respiratory resuscitation
equipment. The other options are also important, although they are of lower
priority.
11. Answer: B. “I will flush the eyes after instilling the ointment.”
The nurse should position the baby with head lower than chest and rub the
infant’s back to stimulate crying to promote oxygenation. There is no haste in
cutting the cord.
The heart rate is vital for life and is the most critical observation in Apgar scoring.
Respiratory effect rather than rate is included in the Apgar score; the rate is very
erratic.
This sequence is least disturbing. Touching with the stethoscope and inserting the
thermometer increase anxiety and elevate vital signs.
The respiratory rate is associated with activity and can be as rapid as 60 breaths
per minute; over 60 breaths per minute are considered tachypneic in the infant.
Milia occur commonly, are not indicative of any illness, and eventually disappear.
By now the newborn will have ingested an ample amount of the amino
acid phenylalanine, which, if not metabolized because of a lack of the liver
enzyme, can deposit injurious metabolites into the bloodstream and brain; early
detection can determine if the liver enzyme is absent.
21. Answer: B. Showing by example and explanation how to care for the infant.
Teaching the mother by example is a non-threatening approach that allows her to
proceed at her own pace.
22. Answer: D. Helps the lungs remain expanded after the initiation of
breathing.
Surfactant works by reducing surface tension in the lung. Surfactant allows the
lung to remain slightly expanded, decreasing the amount of work required
for inspiration.
Acrocyanosis, or bluish discoloration of the hands and feet in the neonate (also
called peripheral cyanosis), is a normal finding and shouldn’t last more than 24
hours after birth.
Neonates of mothers with diabetes are at risk for hypoglycemia due to increased
insulin levels. During gestation, an increased amount of glucose is transferred to
the fetus across the placenta. The neonate’s liver cannot initially adjust to the
changing glucose levels after birth. This may result in an overabundance of insulin
in the neonate, resulting in hypoglycemia.
The neonate with ABO blood incompatibility with its mother will have jaundice
(pathologic) within the first 24 hours of life. The neonate would have a positive
Coombs test result.
Magnesium sulfate crosses the placenta and adverse neonatal effects are
respiratory depression, hypotonia, and Bradycardia.
Convection heat loss is the flow of heat from the body surface to the cooler air.
30. Answer: D. It involves swelling of tissue over the presenting part of the
presenting head.
Caput succedaneum is the swelling of tissue over the presenting part of the fetal
scalp due to sustained pressure; it resolves in 3-4 days.
Keeping the cord dry and open to air helps reduce infection and hastens drying.
Lecithin and sphingomyelin are phospholipids that help compose surfactant in the
lungs; lecithin peaks at 36 weeks and sphingomyelin concentrations remain
stable.
Covering the neonate’s head with a cap helps prevent cold stress due to excessive
evaporative heat loss from the neonate’s wet head. Vitamin K can be given up to
4 hours after birth.
Neonatal skin thickens with maturity and is often peeling by post term.
39. Answer: D. Obtain an order for IV fluid administration.
Altered sleep patterns are caused by disturbances in the CNS from alcohol
exposure in utero. Hyperactivity is a characteristic generally noted. Low birth
weight is a physical defect seen in neonates with FAS. Neonates with FAS
generally have a low threshold for stimulation.
41. Answer: B. The client talks to the baby and picks him up when he cries.
43. Answer: D. check the baby’s serum glucose level and administer glucose if <
40 mg/dL.
48. Answer: B. “It’s acceptable to prop the infant’s bottle once in a while.”