CNM Certified Nurse Midwife

Answer: C - The nurse midwife should simultaneously palpate the client’s radial pulse and auscultate the fetal heart tone. Simultaneous assessment of the client’s radial or carotid pulse and the fetal heart tone makes it easier for the nurse midwife to differentiate the two. The fetal position is LOA, so the nurse midwife should place the Doppler probe on the left side of the client’s abdomen, just below the belly button. The fetal heart tone may be assessed by placing the probe over the fetal back. Generous amounts of ultrasound gel should be applied to the client’s abdomen and to the face of the probe to help the probe glide more easily and pick up the fetal heart tone.