Question

A patient in her second trimester of pregnancy tells the nurse she is worried that a medication she took before knowing she was pregnant might have harmed the fetus. What will the nurse do?

1) Ask the patient what she took and when she learned she was pregnant.
2) Contact the patient's provider to request an ultrasound.
3) Counsel the patient to consider termination of the pregnancy.
4) Suggest to the patient that she go to a high-risk pregnancy center.

Answer 1

The nurse should first inquire about the specific medication taken and when the patient learned of her pregnancy to assess any risk to the fetus. Appropriate prenatal care and further monitoring may be necessary, depending on the medication and the stage of pregnancy when it was taken.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient in her second trimester expresses concern about the potential harm to her fetus from medication taken before she knew she was pregnant, the nurse should ask the patient what she took and when she learned she was pregnant. This will provide initial information to assess any potential risk to the fetus and determine the necessary follow-up actions.

Pregnant mothers are advised to avoid certain substances, including many medications, which are considered teratogens, particularly crucial during the first eight weeks of pregnancy when major organs are forming. If exposure to potentially harmful substances has occurred, health care providers can offer appropriate prenatal care, which is critical for monitoring the health of both mother and fetus.

Understanding the medication and the timing can help the healthcare provider decide if further intervention or monitoring is needed, such as additional ultrasounds or counseling on potential outcomes. However, discussing termination is a sensitive topic and would not typically be a nurse's immediate response without additional information and guidance from a healthcare provider.