Maternity Nursing: practice problems and exam questions

Multiple-choice practice for maternity and obstetric nursing: pregnancy dating and screening, labour and fetal heart rate patterns, postpartum assessment, the newborn and complications such as pre-eclampsia and postpartum haemorrhage, together with the medication calculations of the course.

Practise this course for freePractise this courseTake a mock exam5 free problems every day. No card needed.

Cram pack (PDF)Formula sheets, method steps and practice problems with full solutions, ready to print.

Topics in this course

  1. Maternity & obstetric nursingkey terms and facts · applying the concepts · cases and analysismultiple choice
  2. Dosage calculationstablets and liquids · weight-based doses · doses and concentrationscalculations
  3. IV infusion ratespump rate · drip rate · time and dose ratecalculations

Exam tips for Maternity Nursing

  • Learn VEAL CHOP: it links each fetal heart rate pattern to its cause and its first action.
  • After birth, a rising heart rate is an earlier sign of haemorrhage than a falling blood pressure.
  • Always ask which patient is at risk: the mother, the fetus or the newborn.

Worked examples

Maternity & obstetric nursingEasy

How is the frequency of uterine contractions measured?

  1. AFrom the end of one contraction to the beginning of the next
  2. BFrom the beginning to the end of one contraction
  3. CFrom the peak of one contraction to the end of the next
  4. DFrom the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next
Show hints
  1. Frequency includes the contraction itself and the rest period.
  2. Two wrong answers are now crossed out. One of the remaining two is right.
Show the answer and explanation

Why this is the answer

Frequency is measured from the start of one contraction to the start of the next. Duration is from the start to the end of the same contraction; the interval between contractions is the rest period.

Answer

D · From the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next
Dosage calculationsMedium
17 kgBSA = 0.86 m²250 mg/m²D = ? mg

A patient weighing 17 kg has a body surface area of 0.86 m². The prescription is 250 mg/m². Find the dose D in mg.

17 kgBSA = 0.86 m²250 mg/m²

Find D (mg)

Show hints
  1. The order is per m² of body surface area.
  2. D = dose per m² × BSA. The weight is not needed.
  3. 250·0.86.
Show the answer and the step-by-step solution

Body-surface-area dosing: many cytotoxic and some paediatric doses are prescribed per square metre of body surface area: dose (mg) = dose per m² × BSA (m²). The Mosteller formula estimates BSA = √(height (cm) × weight (kg)/3600).

Dose

D = 250·0.86 = 215 mg

Answer

D = 215 mg

How practising works

  • “Practise this course” mixes problems from all its topics, like a real exam.
  • Every problem has new values, so you learn the method instead of an answer.
  • Stuck? Open a small hint first, and the full explanation only when you need it.
  • Mock exams are timed and have no hints, and you get your score and a full review at the end.

Calculators for this course

Dosage calculator (desired over have)IV flow rate and drip rate calculatorWeight-based dose calculator (mg/kg)IV infusion time calculator (when will the infusion finish?)

Related courses

NCLEX-style practice questions (RN)NCLEX-PN-style practice questions (LPN/LVN)Nursing MathPediatric and Critical-Care DosingNCLEX-style dosage calculationsPharmacy technician math practicePharmacy CalculationsIV Fluids and Fluid Balance
Practise this course for freePractise this courseTake a mock exam5 free problems every day. No card needed.