Describe the normal course of pregnancy and the purpose of prenatal care.
Description should include
- signs of pregnancy
- how body systems are affected
- prenatal care
- assessment of a client
- trends/issues/events
- diagnostic tests
- means to relieve normal discomforts
- risks and complications
- breastfeeding
- client education
- cultural considerations.
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are the presumptive, probable, and positive signs of pregnancy?
- How does pregnancy affect each body system?
- What is the importance of prenatal care in achieving a healthy outcome for mother and baby (e.g., nutrition risk factors)?
- What is the purpose of lab tests, such as
- urinalysis
- hemoglobin and hematocrit (H&H)
- rubella
- glucose tolerance test (GTT)
- Group B streptococcus (GBS)
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test
- blood type
- Rhesus (Rh) factor
- pap smear
- hepatitis B
- alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at 14 to 16 weeks
in the initial and ongoing assessment of the prenatal client?
- What are the trends, issues, and events in obstetrical nursing, including theories and methods of preparation for childbirth?
- What are the purposes, client preparation, interpretation, and post-test care of common prenatal medical diagnostic tests, such as amniocentesis, ultrasonography, nonstress test (NST), and contraction stress test (CST)?
- What effect do
- alcohol
- smoking
- employment
- medication
- rest and activity
- drugs
- personal hygiene
- sexual relations
- nutrition
- clothing
- travel
have on pregnancy?
- What are preventive measures and nursing interventions for normal discomforts of pregnancy?
- What are the risk factors for, symptoms of, preventions for, and treatments of pregnancy, such as PIH, placenta previa, ectopic pregnancy, diabetes, hydatidiform mole, hyperemesis gravidarum, and spontaneous abortion?