RN Exam Practice
Reduction of Risk PotentialQuestion 1086 of 2368

After a client in labor gets out of bed to walk to the bathroom, the external fetal monitor tracing shows a loss of signal. Which cause is most likely?

  1. The fetal heart rate has dropped below the baseline
  2. The tocodynamometer has detected a contraction
  3. The transducers shifted when the client changed position
  4. The fetal scalp electrode has detached from the scalp
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Correct answer: The transducers shifted when the client changed position

External transducers can shift when the client moves, causing a lost signal. The nurse should reposition them.

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Labor & Delivery Care: Continuous External Monitoring. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Reduction of Risk Potential"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026