| Course | NUR-4210 Women's Health Across the Lifespan |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Perinatal nursing paper: preeclampsia |
| Length | About 1,041 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S.N., Accelerated Second Degree |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 4210 Module 2
168 Over 112 at 34 Weeks: Treating Within the Hour and Preventing Seizures
Student Name
B.S.N., Accelerated Second Degree, Thomas Edison State University
NUR-4210: Women's Health Across the Lifespan
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
168 Over 112 at 34 Weeks: Treating Within the Hour and Preventing Seizures
The Patient
Ms. Thompson is invented for this paper. She is 27, a Black woman pregnant with her second child, and works as a dental assistant. At 34 weeks she woke with a severe headache that did not improve with acetaminophen and saw flashing lights. Her blood pressure in triage was 168/112 and fifteen minutes later 166/110. Her urine showed protein, her platelets were slightly low and her liver enzymes were mildly raised. Her first pregnancy, three years ago, had been complicated by gestational hypertension.
What Preeclampsia Is
Preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy in which abnormal development of the placenta leads to the release of factors that damage the lining of blood vessels throughout the body. Blood pressure rises, the kidneys leak protein, and the brain, liver, lungs and blood clotting system can be harmed. Severe features include blood pressure of 160/110 or higher, headache, visual changes, low platelets and liver injury. The most feared complications are eclamptic seizures, stroke, placental abruption and HELLP syndrome. Preeclampsia and its worst outcomes are more common among Black women in the United States.
Treating Severe Blood Pressure Quickly
Bernstein et al. (2017) described the National Partnership for Maternal Safety bundle on severe hypertension in pregnancy and the postpartum period. It calls for treatment with an approved antihypertensive within 30 to 60 minutes of a confirmed severe reading of 160 systolic or 110 diastolic, persisting for 15 minutes, because uncontrolled severe hypertension is a leading cause of maternal stroke. The bundle emphasizes accurate measurement with the right cuff size, standard protocols, magnesium sulfate for seizure prevention when indicated, debriefs and education for women about warning signs after discharge.
Magnesium Sulfate
In the Magpie trial, more than ten thousand women with preeclampsia across 33 countries were randomized to receive magnesium sulfate or a dummy infusion (Magpie Trial Collaborative Group, 2002). Seizures were less than half as common with magnesium, maternal deaths looked lower and babies showed no clear short-term harm. Its main side effects were flushing, nausea and, at high levels, loss of reflexes and slowed breathing.
Preventing Preeclampsia Next Time
Rolnik et al. (2017) reported the ASPRE trial, which screened pregnant women in the first trimester and randomly assigned those at high risk to aspirin 150 mg each evening, begun between 11 and 14 weeks and continued to 36 weeks, or to placebo. Preterm preeclampsia, which forces birth before 37 weeks, developed in 1.6 percent of women taking aspirin and 4.3 percent of those on placebo. Ms. Thompson's history of hypertension in pregnancy places her among women for whom aspirin is recommended in the next pregnancy.
| Source | Key finding | Nursing application |
|---|---|---|
| Bernstein et al. (2017) | Treat severe hypertension within 30 to 60 minutes | Recheck in 15 minutes; give first dose promptly |
| Magpie trial (Magpie Trial Collaborative Group, 2002) | Magnesium more than halved eclampsia | Run infusion per protocol; monitor toxicity |
| Rolnik et al. (2017) | Aspirin cut preterm preeclampsia | Teach about aspirin before the next pregnancy |
Nursing Diagnoses
The diagnoses chosen were risk for injury from seizure or stroke, risk for impaired fetal gas exchange related to reduced placental perfusion and anxiety related to a sudden change in her pregnancy.
The Nursing Response
The nurse confirmed the reading with a correctly sized cuff, notified the physician and gave intravenous labetalol 28 minutes after the first severe reading, within the bundle's window. Magnesium sulfate was started with a loading dose and a maintenance infusion on a pump. The student learned to check for toxicity every hour: deep tendon reflexes, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and urine output, since magnesium is cleared by the kidneys. Calcium gluconate, the antidote, was kept at the bedside. Continuous fetal monitoring showed a reassuring heart rate. The room was kept quiet and dim.
Planning Birth
Because her disease had severe features at 34 weeks, the team planned delivery after stabilization and gave a corticosteroid to help the baby's lungs. She delivered a healthy girl by induced vaginal birth the next day.
After Birth
Preeclampsia can worsen after delivery, and many strokes and seizures occur in the first days postpartum. Magnesium continued for 24 hours. Before discharge, the student taught Ms. Thompson the warning signs to report immediately, such as a headache that will not ease, changes in vision, trouble breathing and pain in the chest, and arranged a blood pressure check within three days.
Her Family
Her husband arrived from work frightened after a phone call that said only that she was being admitted. Their four-year-old son was with a neighbor. The student explained the plan in plain language and arranged for him to see her and the baby on the monitor screen. Including him lowered both their fears and prepared him to watch for warning signs at home.
The First Week Home
Because blood pressure can climb again after discharge, the team gave Ms. Thompson a home blood pressure cuff and asked her to check twice a day and call if the reading reached 160 systolic or 110 diastolic. A nurse called on day two to review her readings.
Equity and Long-Term Health
Preeclampsia raises a woman's lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke. Given the higher rates of severe outcomes among Black women, the student made sure Ms. Thompson's primary care provider received a summary and that she understood the importance of yearly blood pressure checks.
A Debrief
The unit reviewed the case at its weekly safety huddle. The time from first severe reading to treatment was within the bundle's window, but the first reading had been taken with a cuff that was too small, which can overstate pressure; the team restocked large cuffs in triage.
Limits
The Magpie trial focused on preventing eclampsia rather than long-term outcomes. Aspirin dose and screening methods vary between guidelines. A student monitors and teaches but does not give intravenous antihypertensives. Ms. Thompson is invented.
Conclusion
Ms. Thompson's severe preeclampsia called for treatment within the hour, seizure prevention and planned birth. Bernstein and colleagues' bundle set the timing for blood pressure treatment, the Magpie trial supported magnesium and ASPRE pointed to aspirin in her next pregnancy. Careful toxicity checks, postpartum teaching and a link to long-term care rounded out the nursing role.
References
Bernstein, P. S., Martin, J. N., Barton, J. R., Shields, L. E., Druzin, M. L., Scavone, B. M., Frost, J., Morton, C. H., Ruhl, C., Slager, J., Tsigas, E. Z., Jaffer, S., & Menard, M. K. (2017). National Partnership for Maternal Safety: Consensus bundle on severe hypertension during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 130(2), 347-357. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002115
Magpie Trial Collaborative Group. (2002). Do women with pre-eclampsia, and their babies, benefit from magnesium sulphate? The Magpie Trial: A randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, 359(9321), 1877-1890. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08778-0
Rolnik, D. L., Wright, D., Poon, L. C., O'Gorman, N., Syngelaki, A., de Paco Matallana, C., Akolekar, R., Cicero, S., Janga, D., Singh, M., Molina, F. S., Persico, N., Jani, J. C., Plasencia, W., Papaioannou, G., Tenenbaum-Gavish, K., Meiri, H., Gizurarson, S., Maclagan, K., & Nicolaides, K. H. (2017). Aspirin versus placebo in pregnancies at high risk for preterm preeclampsia. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(7), 613-622. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1704559
NUR 4210 Module 2 instructions, in plain terms
Health alterations in pregnancy are part of TESU's NUR-4210 catalog paragraph, and because TESU does not release the syllabus publicly, module two is built as a preeclampsia paper. Describe the patient's signs and laboratory results, explain the disease in plain terms and set out the timing standard for treating severe hypertension. Report the trial evidence on magnesium and on aspirin, write nursing diagnoses, describe the nursing response including toxicity monitoring, address birth planning and the risk that persists after delivery and connect the case to equity and long-term heart health. Some sections assign gestational hypertension or HELLP syndrome instead. Ask whether your unit's magnesium protocol should be summarized in an appendix. A brief debrief or safety huddle section strengthens the paper. Mention how the patient's family was included.
How this NUR 4210 Module 2 example is built
A fictional 27-year-old at 34 weeks reaches an Elizabeth hospital with headache, flashing lights and a pressure of 168/112. Preeclampsia and its severe features are explained. Bernstein and colleagues' bundle, the Magpie trial and the ASPRE trial are set out in a table with nursing actions. Labetalol within 28 minutes, a magnesium infusion with checks of reflexes, breathing and urine each hour, steroids and planned birth, a section on her husband and older son, postpartum warning signs and her long-term heart risk lead to limits and a conclusion. A debrief that found an undersized cuff ends the clinical story. A short section on her husband and son appears near the end.
Where the marks sit in the NUR 4210 Module 2 rubric
Preeclampsia papers are strongest when they explain the disease and its severe features accurately, state the treatment window for severe hypertension and show it being met. Readers credit magnesium evidence paired with hourly toxicity monitoring, that covers reflexes, breathing and urine and keeps the antidote, calcium gluconate, within reach. Applying the aspirin trial to the next pregnancy, teaching postpartum warning signs and linking the case to higher risks among Black women and to lifelong heart disease show breadth. Group authors such as trial collaborative groups belong in the reference list under the group's name. Noticing cuff size as a source of error shows attention to measurement. Including the family shows that preeclampsia care extends beyond the bedside.
Common NUR 4210 Module 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Preeclampsia papers often list signs and medicines without the treatment window; state the 30-to-60-minute target and how it was met. Another common gap is stopping at delivery, even though many strokes and seizures happen afterward. Explain the disease, treat severe readings promptly, check magnesium toxicity every hour, plan the birth, teach postpartum warning signs, mention aspirin for the next pregnancy and address equity. A free first draft can be written around your own patient; send the prompt with a few details. Check that the cuff fits; a small cuff can overstate pressure. Give the family the warning signs too.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 4210 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 4210 Module 2 sample paper?
The preeclampsia paper about a fictional patient at 34 weeks in an Elizabeth hospital, from magnesium to aspirin prevention, is reproduced here.
How quickly should severe hypertension in pregnancy be treated?
Within 30 to 60 minutes of a confirmed reading of 160 systolic or 110 diastolic, according to the national bundle.
Why is magnesium sulfate given in preeclampsia?
It prevents seizures; women given magnesium in the Magpie trial had eclampsia less than half as often.
What are signs of magnesium toxicity?
Loss of deep tendon reflexes, slowed breathing, low oxygen saturation and reduced urine output.
Can aspirin prevent preeclampsia?
In the ASPRE trial, aspirin from early pregnancy reduced preterm preeclampsia from 4.3 to 1.6 percent in high-risk women.