Question

The nurse is preparing a laboring client for placement of epidural analgesia. Which statement by the nurse is appropriate to include in the client education?

"An epidural might cause a decrease in blood pressure."

"An epidural will slow down your labor."

"An epidural increases your risk of cesarean section."

"An epidural allows your body to have more effective contractions."

Answer 1

The nurse should inform the client that an epidural might cause a decrease in blood pressure, which is a potential side effect that will be monitored after the epidural is placed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to what the nurse should include while educating a client about the placement of epidural analgesia. One appropriate statement that the nurse can include is: "An epidural might cause a decrease in blood pressure." This is because the epidural medication can lead to vasodilation, which in turn may reduce the mother's blood pressure. It is important to monitor the blood pressure after epidural placement to watch for this potential side effect. Statements suggesting that epidurals will slow down labor, increase the risk of cesarean section, or allow the body to have more effective contractions are not supported by consistent evidence and would not be the most appropriate pieces of information to provide as client education in this context.