NCLEX: A 29-year-old client in labor and delivery is being evaluated for labor with external fetal monitoring. Assessmen…

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 external fetal monitoring. Assessment data include contractions every 1 minute with no resting tone between contractions. Which nursing action is the priority to keep the client safe?

Question

A. Stay with the client, remove immediate hazards, reassess, and escalate per facility safety protocol.
B. Leave the client alone to promote independence while finishing charting.
C. Apply the first intervention in the policy manual without a current assessment.
D. Administer the next scheduled intervention before reassessing the client.

Rationale

Correct answer: A. Stay with the client, remove immediate hazards, reassess, and escalate per facility safety protocol.

Rationale: Client safety requires direct assessment, hazard reduction, and timely escalation rather than assumptions, abandonment, or policy-only actions.

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

Level: Foundational

Difficulty: Easy

Subtopic: Fetal monitoring