2024 PN NCLEX Questions Nursing Practice Question
A nurse is preparing to assess the fetal heart rate (FHR) of a client who is 14 weeks pregnant. Which piece of equipment does the nurse use to assess the FHR?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: To assess the fetal heart rate at 14 weeks of gestation, a Doppler transducer is the most effective tool. This device uses ultrasound technology to detect the fetal heartbeat, making it suitable for early pregnancy when the fetus is still small and the heart rate is faint.
A stethoscope (Option A) is typically used in later stages of pregnancy when the fetus is larger and the heartbeat is more audible. A fetoscope (Option C) is also less effective at this early stage for similar reasons; it is more commonly used after 18-20 weeks. Option D, which combines pulse oximetry and a fetoscope, is unnecessary and impractical for FHR assessment at this early gestational age.