A nurse is teaching a client who is at 41 weeks of gestation about a nonstress test. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?
Explanation & Rationale
A. "You should massage one of your nipples to stimulate contractions of your uterus.": Nipple stimulation is used to induce contractions during a contraction stress test, not a nonstress test. For a nonstress test, the goal is to assess fetal heart rate in response to fetal movements without inducing contractions. B. "You will have a Doppler transducer applied to your abdomen during the test.": A nonstress test involves placing a Doppler transducer on the maternal abdomen to monitor fetal heart rate and a tocodynamometer to detect uterine activity. The test is noninvasive and monitors fetal heart rate accelerations in response to movement. C. "You should avoid eating or drinking for 4 hours before the test.": Fasting is not required for a nonstress test. In fact, some providers encourage eating beforehand to promote fetal activity, which helps obtain accurate heart rate accelerations. D. "You will need blood work before and after the test.": Blood work is not required for a nonstress test. The test relies solely on external monitoring of the fetal heart rate and maternal contractions, making it noninvasive and straightforward.