Nursing Obstetric Assessment

677 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ob/Pedi Nursing

When a woman comes to the hospital, a nurse will collect all basic information before performing the check up. Getting name, age, chief complaint, and in this case how far along is she in her pregnancy, and of course how many babies there are. The nurse will also be sure to gather information such at the name of the physician she is under, any previous medical diagnoses, number of pregnancies, how many births, expected day of delivery, allergies, time of the last oral intake, and pain level. The woman will go to the admission process and into the delivery room. She will stay admitted until after the delivery, and then moved to a more calming and secluded section with her baby. The mother will have her vital signs as well as a full assessment …show more content…

A few things the would measure is the heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color. This test for what was previously mentioned is called and Apgar Test. The categories are scored between 0-2 which will make the maximum score a 10. This is to be checked the first minute after birth and then on the 5th minute. Checking the birth weight as well as the measurement of the head, abdomen and length from crown to heel is to be included. Next would be the physical examination to check for tone, head shape and how the fontanels and sutures look, if any trauma was experienced during the delivery, the clavicles and neck to check for the range of motion, asymmetry, and any masses or crepitus. Also check the eyes for symmetry, the shape, dilation, any erythema and the light reflexes. When getting to the rest of the head be sure to check the ear size, shape, and if it has a recoil. For the nasal area; check the shape and patency of the nostrils as well as the palate of the mouth and gums, lip and tongue mobility. Afterwards move down to the body while looking at the shape of the chest and any positioning and shape of the nipples. Be sure to check the genitalia color, any discharge or abnormalities. After that moving toward the back of the baby with the spine. It should be symmetric and palpable, noting any unusual lesions, tags, or masses for the doctor to further exam. Be sure to also check for the suck, grasp, and moro

Show More
Related

  • Neonatal Nursing

    1506 Words  | 4 Pages

    Neonatal nursing is a field of nursing designed especially for both newborns and infants up to 28 days old. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These are trained professionals who concentrate on ensuring that the newborn infants under their care are able to survive whatever potential life threatening event they encounter. They treat infants that are born with a variety of life threatening issues that include instances of prematurity, congenital birth defects, surgery related problems, cardiac malformations, severe burns, or acute infection. Neonatal care in hospitals was always done by the nursing staff but it did not officially become a specialized medical field until well into 1960s. This was due to the numerous advancements in both medical care training and related technology that allowed for the improved treatment and survival rate of premature babies. According to the March of Dimes, one of every thirteen babies born in the United States annually suffers from low birth weight. This is a leading cause in 65% of infant deaths. Therefore, nurses play a very important role in providing round the clock care for these infants, those born with birth defects or other life threatening illness. In addition, these nurses also tend to healthy babies while their mothers recover from the birthing process. Prior to the advent of this specialized nursing field at risk newborn infants were mostly cared for by obstetricians and midwives who had limited resources to help them survive (Meeks 3).

    Read More

  • Essay On Pushed Birth

    2080 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.

    Read More

  • Neonatal Nursing

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    Neonatal nurses spend their career working with babies, those that are healthy and those that are not. Working with newborns is guaranteed to have its challenges, especially for those particular nurses who choose to work in the neonatal intensive care unit. The neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, is where the infants suffering from potentially fatal diseases/disorders are held. NICU nurses struggle with life and death situations each and everyday, which is sure to be accompanied by specific emotions such as moral distress. In the words of researcher Kain (2006), “moral distress is defined as uncomfortable, painful emotions that arise when institutional constraints prevent the nurse from performing nursing tasks that are deemed necessary and appropriate” (p. 388). In simpler words, Kain (2006) is saying that a nurse experiencing moral distress is undergoing painful emotions that are getting in the way of the nurse’s ability to perform essential tasks (p. 388). Heuer, L., Bengiamin, M., Downey, V., and Imler, N. (1996) pointed out that nurses caring for critically ill and dying infants often feel hopeless, incompetent, and disappointed, especially if the overall outcome for the infant is death (p. 1126). These negative feelings that NICU nurses often have are those that are associated with moral distress and can often lead to prevention of proper performance in necessary nursing duties.

    Read More

  • Nursing Diagnosis

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    J.P., a 58 year old female, presents to the Emergency Room on March 18th. She has a past medical history of cervical cancer, atheroembolism of the left lower extremity, fistula of the vagina, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, glaucoma, GERD, depression, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and sickle cell anemia. She complains of right lower extremity pain accompanied by fatigue, a decreased appetite, increased work of breathing, burning on urination, and decreased urine output for three days.

    Read More

  • Delivery Nurse Personal Statement

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine having a job that helps guide mothers during their process of bringing new life into the world. Imagine being one of the reasons a new life was brought into the world. Labor and Delivery nurses are responsible for being a good support system to women experiencing childbirth. L & D nurses help guide mothers through labor before and after the birth of their newborn(s). Due to my fascination in helping mothers bringing new life into the world, I have chosen to attend Germanna Community College and continue my education at the University of Virginia in order to pursue my career as a registered nurse specializing in labor and delivery.

    Read More

  • Obstetrical Assessment Essay

    2429 Words  | 5 Pages

    The word family cannot be described or translated by one single universal definition. Different people have different views and meanings as to what a family means to them, but however different all families share similar characteristics. The Oxford Dictionary describes a family as a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household of common descent (2014). However, in today's society, families are evolving and changing in the way that is much different than the traditional nuclear family. As noted by NY Times, in today's society a family can be comprised of a single mother or father, gay/lesbian couple, couples that are unmarried and living together with their children, inter-racial marriages and couples, raising kids from behind bars (incarcerated) and even going from friends to caretakers (Angier, 2013). The term family in today's society is so dynamic, and it is the responsibility of all obstetric nurses to understand the changing family dynamic to be able to assess and determine if the proper care can be given to a newborn based on the education level, psychosocial status, welfare and support of the patient so that the newborn can grow up in an optimal environment with their new family.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Nursing And Perinatal Nursing

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    Perinatal nurses and neonatal nurses both assist the doctor during the birth depending on the risk of the pregnancy and how they think the baby will do will determine what nurse is in the room with you. Both neonatal nurses and perinatal nurses deal with newborn babies. If your baby is high-risk for illness or if your baby is being born prematurely there will be a neonatal nurse with you in the delivery room. If your baby is healthy and being born on time you will have a perinatal nurse with you in the delivery room. In the nursery although they deal with babies with different health they do some things the same when they are taking care of them. Nurses in both the NICU and the well-baby nursery have to take care of babies right after delivery measuring vital signs and giving them vital nutrients. Both nurses must evaluate the condition of each patient exclusively and use the information the gather to create or adjust the patient’s treatment plan. Both jobs go through the same training until the neonatal nurse has to start training for the

    Read More

  • Understanding One Day Surgery: Procedures and Patient Care

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depending on the time of surgery, the nurse may admit and discharge the same patient within the timeframe of his or her shift. The nurse obtains a history and physical (H&P) along with the progress notes from the operating surgeon or another licensed personnel written within the last twenty-four hours. The nurse sets the patient up with a peripheral intravenous line before surgery. He or she will interview the patient regarding the last time they ate and/or drank, what medications they take, and when the last medication dose was taken. The nurse also assesses the patient to see if he or she understands the procedure they are there for and asks if they have any questions or concerns. Depending on the health of the patient and what surgical procedure they will be subjected to, either a focused or full health assessment is performed. The nurse also makes sure that all labs pertinent to the patient have been obtained. These labs include a negative pregnancy test (or proof of a negative test within the last seven days) for any patient that could possibly be pregnant, even if the patient is currently menstruating, a finger-stick blood sugar test for all diabetic patients, a blood test for potassium levels for patients with end stage renal disease, and a prothrombin time or international normalized ratio test for patients on Coumadin. The nurse also makes sure that

    Read More

  • Nursing Midwifery Board Australia

    1824 Words  | 4 Pages

    INTRODUCTION There are many things that affect a student’s enrolment as a nurse the student must be competent in the many registration standards that the Nursing Midwifery Board of Australia have set. The stigmas attached to students with Impairments and or Criminal histories and the ineligibility to register. Nursing is defined by the International Council of Nursing (2014) as collaborative care of individual’s any age health or ill of all communities, groups, in all situations. Health promotion, illness prevention and the care of unwell, disabled and dying people are included in the nursing practice. Encouraging a safe environment, research, contributing to shape health policies and health systems management, and education are also key nursing

    Read More

  • Nicu nursing

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are more than 70% of premature babies that are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation a year. When a baby is born early, or born with birth defects, the Neonatal Intensive Care unit is its first home. The nurse’s in the NICU have the difficult job of preparing baby’s and parents for a health life together. A baby who has been put into the NICU will stay there until it is healthy enough to go home.

    Read More

  • My First Newborn Assessment

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    At Wildcat Hospital, I performed my first newborn assessment on a baby. I walked into the postpartum room and greeted the mother and family and asked if I could (along with another student) perform and assessment on the baby for the second time. This assessment was different from the initial assessment I performed four hours previously, because the second time around I had more control of the assessment. I listened to the heart, lungs, and stomach. I assessed the newborn’s respirations, reflexes and temperature. After our assessment was over, I was able to swaddle the baby back up and hand the infant back into the arms of an excited new mother.

    Read More

  • Labor and Delivery Nursing

    1989 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...e baby still seems to have too much fluid in his or hers mouth or nose, the nurse may do further suctioning at this time. At one and five minutes after birth, an Apgar assessment will be done to evaluate the baby's heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex response, and color. If the baby is doing well, the mother and the baby will not be separated. The nurse will come in from time to time to change diapers, check the babies temperature, and perform other tasks while the baby spends time with his or her mother and father (B. C. Board).

    Read More

  • Nursing Essay: Patient Assessment

    2489 Words  | 5 Pages

    This piece of work will be based on the pre-assessment process that patients go through on arrival to an endoscopy unit in which I was placed in during my second year studying Adult diploma Nursing. I will explore one patient’s holistic needs, identifying the priorities of care that the patient requires; I will then highlight a particular priority and give a rational behind this. During an admission I completed under the supervision of my mentor I was pre-assessing a 37 year old lady who had arrived to the unit for an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. During the pre-assessment it was important that a holistic assessment is performed as every patient is an individual with unique care needs as the patient outline in this piece of work has learning disabilities it was imperative to identify any barriers with communication (Nursing standards 2006).

    Read More

  • Labor and Childbirth - The Event of a Lifetime

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hospital room holds all the usual scenery: rooms lining featureless walls, carts full of foreign devices and competent looking nurses ready to help whatever the need be. The side rails of the bed smell of plastic. The room is enveloped with the smell of plastic. A large bed protrudes from the wall. It moves from one stage to the next, with the labor, so that when you come to the "bearing" down stage, the stirrups can be put in place. The side rails of the bed provide more comfort than the hand of your coach, during each contraction. The mattress of the bed is truly uncomfortable for a woman in so much pain. The eager faces of your friends and family staring at your half naked body seem to be acceptabl...

    Read More

  • Nursing Leadership: Applying Henderson's Need Theory in Quality and Risk Management

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    This birthing plan is often documented in the patient’s medical record which aids the health care staff during the birthing event. Documentation and discussion of these events is often necessary to ensure all the needs of the family are met. Too often all the potential needs are not discussed and the opportunity to meet the needs of the new family is missed. These missed opportunities can result in emotional and religious conflicts within the family unit and toward the health care staff. For the nurse leader these missed opportunities in care could result in unfavorable patient satisfaction scores and reports within and outside the institution which necessitates follow up. The most important missed opportunity is how this affects the family unit itself. Depending on the missed opportunity the family unit may be affected for years based on questions not asked or decisions made with poor information. Some cultures must bury the placenta after birth and if this was not discussed and the placenta discarded the religious implications could be devastating for this family. Application of Henderson’s need theory guides the nurse in the educational plan for the patient-family unit to ensure all basic needs are covered and questions related to those needs are posed in advanced of the birthing

    Read More

More about Nursing Obstetric Assessment

Open Document