Title: Describe the normal course of pregnancy and the purpose of prenatal care.
Course: Practical Nursing III (14052-III) > Section: Examining the Nursing Process for the Maternal and Newborn Client

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?