Final answer:
To assess for the presence of ballottement, the HCP should initiate a gentle upward tap on the cervix. This maneuver checks for the engagement of the fetal head in the pelvis by causing the floating fetus to rise and rebound.
Step-by-step explanation:
The HCP (Healthcare Provider) is assessing the client for the presence of ballottement, which is a technique used in prenatal care to assess the engagement of the fetal head in the pelvis. To make this determination, the HCP should initiate a gentle upward tap on the cervix. When performing the ballottement maneuver, if the fetus is not yet engaged, the tap on the cervix will cause the fetus to rise in the amniotic fluid and then rebound to its original position, which can then be felt by the examiner's finger. This is different from assessing fetal heart sounds, which involves auscultation and is not related to ballottement. The HCP does not palpate for fetal movement or assess cervix for compressibility for ballottement specifically, although these may be parts of other prenatal assessments.