NCLEX: A 29-year-old client in labor and delivery is being evaluated for labor with epidural analgesia. Assessment data…

Maternal-newborn nursing Health Promotion and Maintenance Reduction of Risk Potential

Case Study

A 29-year-old client in labor and delivery is being evaluated for labor with epidural analgesia. Assessment data include contractions every 1 minute with no resting tone between contractions. Which error is most dangerous on the NCLEX and in practice?

Question

A. Teaching the client after stability is confirmed.
B. Choosing an intervention before identifying assessment cues and immediate safety risk.
C. Reassessing the client after an appropriate intervention.
D. Using SBAR to notify the provider about abnormal findings.

Rationale

Correct answer: B. Choosing an intervention before identifying assessment cues and immediate safety risk.

Rationale: The most dangerous NCLEX trap is treating before assessing, which can miss life-threatening deterioration.

Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.

Level: Clinical

Difficulty: Medium

Subtopic: Pain management in labor