RN Nursing · Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring · Practice question
A nurse is assisting with the care of a client who is pregnant and in the labor and delivery unit. The nurse is contacting the provider regarding the client's status. (Based on the provided Medical History, Vital Signs, and Nurses' Notes) Which of the following findings should the nurse include in the report? (Select 4)
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✓
Gestational age
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Vaginal examination
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✓
Uterine contractions
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✓
Maternal blood pressure
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Maternal report of pain
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Fetal heart rate
Answer & explanation
Correct: Gestational age · Uterine contractions · Maternal blood pressure · Fetal heart rate
When contacting a provider using structured communication tools such as SBAR, the nurse must report objective clinical data that directly reflects maternal and fetal status. Gestational age is essential because it determines fetal viability and guides clinical decision-making. Uterine contractions describe the frequency, duration, and intensity of labor progress, which directly affects care planning. Maternal blood pressure is critical, particularly to screen for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy that require urgent intervention. Fetal heart rate is the primary indicator of fetal well-being and must always be communicated. Vaginal examination findings, while useful, are typically not among the four most urgently communicated items in this standardized context, as they represent one component of labor assessment rather than a vital sign or continuous monitoring parameter. Maternal report of pain, though important for comfort management, is subjective and generally lower priority compared to the four objective findings above when selecting the most critical data to relay. The keyed answer correctly identifies gestational age, uterine contractions, maternal blood pressure, and fetal heart rate as the four priority findings for a provider report, and this matches standard intrapartum SBAR communication practices.
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