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OMSB Maternal & Newborn Nursing Practice Questions
Maternal and newborn questions cover pregnancy, labour, postpartum care and the newborn, with a focus on obstetric emergencies. Below are 5 free sample questions for the OMSB nursing exam, each with the answer and a rationale.
What this topic covers
- Antenatal care and danger signs
- Pre-eclampsia and magnesium sulfate
- Placenta praevia vs abruption
- Fetal heart rate monitoring
- Postpartum haemorrhage
- Newborn assessment and Apgar
The full bank has 100 maternal & newborn nursing questions, part of 1,500 questions across 16 nursing topics.
Free OMSB maternal & newborn nursing questions
1. A nurse is teaching new parents about safe sleep. Which statement by a parent shows correct understanding?
- A. "I will put my baby to sleep on her tummy so she will not choke."
- B. "I will let my baby sleep in our bed between us every night."
- C. "I will prop my baby on her side with a rolled blanket."
- D. "I will put my baby to sleep on her back on a firm, bare mattress."
Show answer and rationale
To reduce the risk of sudden infant death, babies should sleep on their back on a firm, flat surface with no soft bedding, ideally in the parents' room but not in their bed. Prone and side sleeping and bed-sharing increase the risk.
Reference: AAP safe sleep recommendations
2. A patient with pre-eclampsia reports new pain in the right upper quadrant of her abdomen. How should the nurse interpret this symptom?
- A. As a possible sign of liver involvement that needs urgent reporting
- B. As an expected effect of the antihypertensive medication
- C. As heartburn that can be treated with an antacid
- D. As a sign that labour is starting
Show answer and rationale
Right upper quadrant or epigastric pain is a severe feature of pre-eclampsia caused by liver swelling or injury and may indicate HELLP syndrome or impending eclampsia. It must be reported at once rather than treated as simple heartburn.
Reference: Maternal-newborn nursing – pre-eclampsia severe features
3. The first day of a patient's last menstrual period was 25 November 2025. Using Naegele's rule, which estimated date of delivery should the nurse record?
- A. 25 August 2026
- B. 1 August 2026
- C. 18 August 2026
- D. 1 September 2026
Show answer and rationale
25 November minus 3 months = 25 August; plus 7 days = 1 September; plus 1 year = 1 September 2026. Forgetting to add the 7 days gives 25 August, and subtracting the days instead gives 18 August.
Reference: Maternal-newborn nursing – Naegele's rule
4. Which finding about a postpartum patient's lochia should the nurse report?
- A. Red lochia on the second day
- B. A few clots smaller than a small coin
- C. A foul odour
- D. A brief increase in flow when she first stands up
Show answer and rationale
Normal lochia has a fleshy, musty smell; a foul odour suggests infection such as endometritis. Red lochia in the first days, pooling that flows on standing and a few small clots are normal.
Reference: Maternal-newborn nursing – lochia
5. Why does the nurse closely monitor urine output in a patient receiving magnesium sulfate?
- A. Magnesium sulfate causes a large diuresis that leads to dehydration
- B. Low urine output means the dose of magnesium is too low
- C. Magnesium is excreted by the kidneys, so low urine output can cause toxic levels
- D. Urine output shows how well the seizures are controlled
Show answer and rationale
Magnesium is cleared by the kidneys; oliguria (commonly below 30 mL/hour) allows magnesium to accumulate and reach toxic levels, so it must be reported.
Reference: Standard nursing pharmacology – magnesium sulfate
Study tip
For postpartum haemorrhage, the first nursing action is usually fundal massage. Know the '4 Ts' causes.
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