NCLEX Maternity, Pediatrics and Mental Health Flashcards: 30 Cards

NCLEX Maternity, Pediatrics and Mental Health Flashcards

NCLEXNCLEX flashcardsApprox. 18 min·By Dr Irfan Mansuri
NCLEX Maternity, Pediatrics and Mental Health Flashcards — study guide illustration
NCLEX Maternity, Pediatrics and Mental Health Flashcards — study guide illustration
30 cards on maternity, pediatric and mental health nursing. Tap a card to turn it over. Each back gives the answer and a one-line note on why the exam keeps asking it — that note is usually the part that makes the fact stick.
How to use this page. This is exam-preparation material written to the NCLEX test plan, not clinical guidance. Answers and rationales are reproduced as written, and drug, lab and precaution details are included because the exam tests them — not as instructions for patient care. Always follow your nursing program, your facility policy and current manufacturer labelling for anything you do at the bedside, and check numbers against your own review text before you rely on them.

How to run these cards

Work in one direction first: read the front, say the answer out loud, then open the card. Saying it out loud is not a gimmick — recognising an answer and producing one are different skills, and the exam only rewards the second. Anything you get wrong goes into a pile you repeat at the end of the session, then again the next day.

Do not run a deck front-to-back every time. Order is itself a memory cue, so a deck you always run in sequence will feel mastered and then fall apart inside a mixed practice test.

Maternal & Pediatric

Antepartum through newborn, plus milestones and paediatric values.

15 cards — 9 easy, 6 medium.

Normal fetal heart rate baseline?

110 to 160 beats per minute with moderate variability of 6 to 25.

Moderate variability is the single most reassuring finding.

VEAL CHOP

Variable-Cord compression, Early-Head compression, Accelerations-Okay, Late-Placental insufficiency.

Variables mean reposition. Lates mean stop the oxytocin.

BUBBLE-HE

Breasts, Uterus, Bladder, Bowel, Lochia, Episiotomy, Homan or lower limbs, Emotional state.

The standard postpartum head-to-toe framework.

Lochia progression

Rubra (days 1 to 3), serosa (days 4 to 10), alba (day 10 to about six weeks).

Any return to bright red, or saturating a pad in under an hour, is reported.

Four Ts of postpartum haemorrhage

Tone, Trauma, Tissue, Thrombin.

Tone is by far the most common, so massage the fundus first.

Newborn vital sign ranges?

Heart rate 110 to 160, respirations 30 to 60, temperature 36.5 to 37.5 C axillary.

A respiratory rate over 60 at rest with grunting or flaring is reported.

When is newborn jaundice always pathological?

Within the first 24 hours of life.

It usually indicates haemolysis such as blood group incompatibility.

Milestone anchors 2-4-6-9-12 months

Social smile, rolls front to back, sits with support and transfers, crawls and pincer grasp, pulls to stand and first words.

Birth weight doubles by 6 months and triples by 12 months.

When does the anterior fontanelle close?

Between 12 and 18 months. The posterior closes by about 2 months.

A bulging fontanelle suggests raised pressure; a sunken one suggests dehydration.

Leading injury risks for a toddler?

Drowning, poisoning and burns.

The hazard always follows the newly acquired skill: reaching and climbing.

Signs of adequate newborn intake by day four?

Six or more wet nappies a day and steady weight gain.

Birth weight is usually regained by about two weeks.

Erikson stages from infancy to adolescence

Trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity.

Match the intervention to the stage: choices for toddlers, achievement for school age, peers for adolescents.

Pregnancy danger signs

Bleeding, leaking fluid, severe headache, visual change, epigastric pain, reduced fetal movement, persistent vomiting.

The last three of these are the preeclampsia warning triad plus fetal wellbeing.

Why is folic acid started before conception?

The neural tube closes in the first four weeks, often before pregnancy is recognised.

400 to 800 micrograms daily is the usual recommendation.

Relief for supine hypotensive syndrome in pregnancy?

Turn the client to the left side.

This takes the weight of the uterus off the inferior vena cava.

Mental Health

Therapeutic communication, psychotropics and psychiatric emergencies.

15 cards — 3 easy, 10 medium, 2 hard.

Three therapeutic communication techniques

Open-ended questions, reflection, silence.

Also restating, clarifying, focusing, offering self and making observations.

Four communication blocks that are always wrong

Giving advice, false reassurance, asking why, changing the subject.

They move the focus away from the client and close the conversation.

What raises suicide risk from concerning to emergency?

A specific plan with available means and a set time.

Ask directly. Asking never increases risk.

Why is the early antidepressant period high risk?

Energy returns before mood lifts, so the client becomes able to act on suicidal thoughts.

Full effect takes four to six weeks.

How should the nurse respond to a hallucination?

Acknowledge that it feels real, do not validate the content, and ask what the voices are saying.

Command hallucinations to harm are a safety emergency.

How should the nurse respond to a delusion?

Neither argue nor agree. Acknowledge the feeling and offer a practical alternative.

For food-related paranoia, offer sealed containers.

Alcohol withdrawal timeline

Tremor at 6 to 12 hours, hallucinations at 12 to 24, seizures at 24 to 48, delirium tremens at 48 to 72.

Benzodiazepines are the mainstay. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal.

Why is thiamine given before glucose in chronic alcohol use?

To prevent Wernicke encephalopathy.

Glucose metabolism consumes the remaining thiamine stores.

Nutrition strategy for a client in acute mania?

High-calorie finger foods and drinks the client can carry.

A client in mania cannot sit long enough for a meal.

Acute dystonia versus tardive dyskinesia

Dystonia is early, sudden and reversible with an anticholinergic. Tardive dyskinesia is late and often permanent.

Laryngeal dystonia is an airway emergency.

What does fever and sore throat mean on clozapine?

Possible agranulocytosis. Check the absolute neutrophil count urgently.

Ongoing neutrophil monitoring is mandatory with clozapine.

De-escalation sequence

Verbal calming, then reduce stimulation, then medication, then seclusion or restraint.

Least restrictive intervention first, always.

How is a limit set therapeutically?

Name the behaviour, state the expectation, offer an acceptable alternative.

Limits apply to behaviour, never to feelings.

First step when abuse is suspected?

Interview the client alone.

Report on suspicion; never confront the suspected abuser.

Can teaching happen at severe anxiety?

No. Reduce the anxiety first, then teach.

Learning capacity drops sharply above moderate anxiety.

What these cards cover

These 30 cards sit across 9 topics in the test plan. If a whole topic keeps coming back wrong, the problem is the underlying content rather than the recall — go and read that topic before you run the deck again.

Topic Focus Cards Client need category
Labour and Birth Stages, fetal monitoring and complications 2 Health Promotion and Maintenance
Postpartum and Newborn Care BUBBLE-HE, haemorrhage and newborn transition 6 Health Promotion and Maintenance
Growth and Development Milestones, play and age-appropriate teaching 4 Health Promotion and Maintenance
Antepartum Care Prenatal assessment, danger signs and teaching 3 Health Promotion and Maintenance
Therapeutic Communication What to say, and what never to say 3 Psychosocial Integrity
Anxiety and Mood Disorders Panic, depression, bipolar disorder and suicide risk 4 Psychosocial Integrity
Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders Hallucinations, delusions and antipsychotic effects 4 Psychosocial Integrity
Substance Use and Withdrawal Alcohol, opioid and stimulant withdrawal 2 Psychosocial Integrity
Abuse, Neglect and Violence Recognition, reporting and safety planning 2 Psychosocial Integrity

Printable answer key

The same 30 cards laid flat, for revision on paper or a last pass the night before. Cover the right-hand columns with a sheet and work down.

Prompt Answer Why it matters
Normal fetal heart rate baseline? 110 to 160 beats per minute with moderate variability of 6 to 25. Moderate variability is the single most reassuring finding.
VEAL CHOP Variable-Cord compression, Early-Head compression, Accelerations-Okay, Late-Placental insufficiency. Variables mean reposition. Lates mean stop the oxytocin.
BUBBLE-HE Breasts, Uterus, Bladder, Bowel, Lochia, Episiotomy, Homan or lower limbs, Emotional state. The standard postpartum head-to-toe framework.
Lochia progression Rubra (days 1 to 3), serosa (days 4 to 10), alba (day 10 to about six weeks). Any return to bright red, or saturating a pad in under an hour, is reported.
Four Ts of postpartum haemorrhage Tone, Trauma, Tissue, Thrombin. Tone is by far the most common, so massage the fundus first.
Newborn vital sign ranges? Heart rate 110 to 160, respirations 30 to 60, temperature 36.5 to 37.5 C axillary. A respiratory rate over 60 at rest with grunting or flaring is reported.
When is newborn jaundice always pathological? Within the first 24 hours of life. It usually indicates haemolysis such as blood group incompatibility.
Milestone anchors 2-4-6-9-12 months Social smile, rolls front to back, sits with support and transfers, crawls and pincer grasp, pulls to stand and first words. Birth weight doubles by 6 months and triples by 12 months.
When does the anterior fontanelle close? Between 12 and 18 months. The posterior closes by about 2 months. A bulging fontanelle suggests raised pressure; a sunken one suggests dehydration.
Leading injury risks for a toddler? Drowning, poisoning and burns. The hazard always follows the newly acquired skill: reaching and climbing.
Signs of adequate newborn intake by day four? Six or more wet nappies a day and steady weight gain. Birth weight is usually regained by about two weeks.
Erikson stages from infancy to adolescence Trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity. Match the intervention to the stage: choices for toddlers, achievement for school age, peers for adolescents.
Pregnancy danger signs Bleeding, leaking fluid, severe headache, visual change, epigastric pain, reduced fetal movement, persistent vomiting. The last three of these are the preeclampsia warning triad plus fetal wellbeing.
Why is folic acid started before conception? The neural tube closes in the first four weeks, often before pregnancy is recognised. 400 to 800 micrograms daily is the usual recommendation.
Relief for supine hypotensive syndrome in pregnancy? Turn the client to the left side. This takes the weight of the uterus off the inferior vena cava.
Three therapeutic communication techniques Open-ended questions, reflection, silence. Also restating, clarifying, focusing, offering self and making observations.
Four communication blocks that are always wrong Giving advice, false reassurance, asking why, changing the subject. They move the focus away from the client and close the conversation.
What raises suicide risk from concerning to emergency? A specific plan with available means and a set time. Ask directly. Asking never increases risk.
Why is the early antidepressant period high risk? Energy returns before mood lifts, so the client becomes able to act on suicidal thoughts. Full effect takes four to six weeks.
How should the nurse respond to a hallucination? Acknowledge that it feels real, do not validate the content, and ask what the voices are saying. Command hallucinations to harm are a safety emergency.
How should the nurse respond to a delusion? Neither argue nor agree. Acknowledge the feeling and offer a practical alternative. For food-related paranoia, offer sealed containers.
Alcohol withdrawal timeline Tremor at 6 to 12 hours, hallucinations at 12 to 24, seizures at 24 to 48, delirium tremens at 48 to 72. Benzodiazepines are the mainstay. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal.
Why is thiamine given before glucose in chronic alcohol use? To prevent Wernicke encephalopathy. Glucose metabolism consumes the remaining thiamine stores.
Nutrition strategy for a client in acute mania? High-calorie finger foods and drinks the client can carry. A client in mania cannot sit long enough for a meal.
Acute dystonia versus tardive dyskinesia Dystonia is early, sudden and reversible with an anticholinergic. Tardive dyskinesia is late and often permanent. Laryngeal dystonia is an airway emergency.
What does fever and sore throat mean on clozapine? Possible agranulocytosis. Check the absolute neutrophil count urgently. Ongoing neutrophil monitoring is mandatory with clozapine.
De-escalation sequence Verbal calming, then reduce stimulation, then medication, then seclusion or restraint. Least restrictive intervention first, always.
How is a limit set therapeutically? Name the behaviour, state the expectation, offer an acceptable alternative. Limits apply to behaviour, never to feelings.
First step when abuse is suspected? Interview the client alone. Report on suspicion; never confront the suspected abuser.
Can teaching happen at severe anxiety? No. Reduce the anxiety first, then teach. Learning capacity drops sharply above moderate anxiety.

More NCLEX practice and review

Everything on this site tagged NCLEX lives in the NCLEX category.

Sources

Compiled and published by Dr Irfan Mansuri for irfanedu.com. Practice content is organised against the NCSBN test plan structure. Spotted something that looks wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.

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