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SNLE 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 Saudi Nursing Licensure Exam (SNLE), 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 SNLE maternal & newborn nursing questions
1. A newborn's mother had poorly controlled gestational diabetes. For which condition should the nurse monitor the newborn most closely in the first hours after birth?
- A. Hyperglycaemia
- B. Hypoglycaemia
- C. Low birth weight
- D. Hypercalcaemia
Show answer and rationale
Maternal hyperglycaemia causes fetal hyperinsulinism, which continues after the glucose supply from the placenta stops, causing neonatal hypoglycaemia. These babies are more often large (macrosomic), and hypocalcaemia rather than hypercalcaemia is a recognised risk.
Reference: Maternal-newborn nursing – infant of a diabetic mother
2. What is the most common cause of postpartum haemorrhage?
- A. Retained placental tissue
- B. Genital tract lacerations
- C. Uterine atony
- D. Coagulation disorders
Show answer and rationale
Of the 4 Ts (Tone, Trauma, Tissue, Thrombin), poor uterine tone (atony) causes the large majority of postpartum haemorrhages.
Reference: WHO – postpartum haemorrhage
3. Which laboratory finding should the nurse expect in a patient with hyperemesis gravidarum?
- A. Absence of urine ketones
- B. High serum potassium
- C. Low serum potassium
- D. Low urine specific gravity
Show answer and rationale
Repeated vomiting causes loss of potassium, so hypokalaemia is common. Starvation produces ketonuria, and dehydration produces concentrated urine with a high specific gravity.
Reference: Maternal-newborn nursing – hyperemesis gravidarum
4. A patient has received a prolonged oxytocin infusion. She now reports a headache and seems confused, and her urine output has fallen. Which adverse effect should the nurse suspect?
- A. Water intoxication
- B. Hypoglycaemia
- C. Hypothermia
- D. Hyperkalaemia
Show answer and rationale
Oxytocin has an antidiuretic effect, and prolonged infusion, especially with large volumes of IV fluid, can cause water retention and hyponatraemia (water intoxication), shown by headache, confusion and reduced urine output.
Reference: Standard nursing pharmacology – oxytocin
5. A labouring patient who is lying on her back and receiving no oxytocin develops recurrent late decelerations. What should the nurse do first?
- A. Document the pattern and review it in 30 minutes
- B. Encourage her to push with each contraction
- C. Turn her onto her left side
- D. Keep her flat on her back and continue monitoring
Show answer and rationale
Turning to the lateral position relieves pressure on the vena cava and improves blood flow to the placenta; the nurse then carries out further actions such as IV fluids and notifying the provider. Staying supine or waiting may worsen fetal hypoxia.
Reference: Maternal-newborn nursing – fetal heart rate patterns
Study tip
For postpartum haemorrhage, the first nursing action is usually fundal massage. Know the '4 Ts' causes.
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