N306 Study Guide – Final
This guide includes all content that is important to understand in each chapter. A comprehensive level of understanding will
ensure your success. For more focused guidance: If something is bolded/underlined, then it’s probably going to be on your
exam. All page numbers refer to Durham 3rd ed.
Chapter 3
Genetics
• Nurse role and relevance of genetics to childbearing families
• Common genetic (inherited) conditions that you would counsel and screen patients either prior to pregnancy or at
their first prenatal visit
• Testing women of advanced maternal age (AMA) (who is considered AMA) and increased risk of chromosomal
abnormalities
• Teratogens and at what crucial time exposure will cause the most damage
o Look at each and understand what risks/complications it may pose to baby or pregnancy
o Fetal alcohol syndrome
§ Causes? Fetal characteristics?
o TORCH
§ Look at each and understand mode of transmission, is there treatment for it? Do we screen for it
during prenatal care? How might it affect the pregnancy and baby?
§ What about viruses and placenta?
§ How long is zika in male system for? What can zika lead to in newborn who is affected by it?
Menstrual Cycle
• Consists of two cycles working simultaneously (ovarian and endometrial) è what are levels and roles of estrogen
and *progesterone in each cycle
• When is a woman most fertile?
o What is considered a woman’s LMP (know that this is Day #1 of her cycle)
o What happens at time of ovulation (typically what day during the cycle, what the ovaries are doing, the
hormone levels, and what the endometrial lining is doing)
o What day does conception occur?
o When does implantation occur? What part of the blastocyst is involved in implantation? Where does
implantation usually happen? What will happen if implantation occurs too early?
Embryonic and Fetal Development
• When to expect to see fetal cardiac activity on ultrasound
• Summary of fetal development - table 3-4, p. 49.
• What is considered a term pregnancy?
• Difference between identical and fraternal twins
• Fetal circulations (ductus venosus, foramen ovale, ductus arteriosis)
• Basic concepts of placenta physiology and its purpose
o Hormones produced by the placenta (what roles do these hormones play? Which is used to diagnose
pregnancy? Which hormone is responsible for regulating glucose availability in the newborn?
• Purposes of amniotic fluid
• Normal structure of the umbilical cord
Infertility
• Definition of infertility
• Common causes of infertility
• Basic work up for infertility
Chapter 4
Prenatal Care
• What is goal and purpose of prenatal care?
• Diagnosing pregnancy
o Most likely cause of amenorrhea? (Pregnancy)
o Know presumptive, probable and positive signs of pregnancy
§ Definition of Goodell’s Sign, Chadwick’s sign, Hegar’s sign, quickening
§ Know what symptoms could possibly attributed to something else versus what actually gives you the
diagnosis pf pregnancy
