Nursing Component Task
Nursing procedures & clinical learning

Midwifery (RM)

Management of Mild Pre-Eclampsia

Mild pre-eclampsia requires structured assessment and surveillance because severity can change. Management confirms blood pressure and proteinuria, checks symptoms and laboratory results, monitors fetal wellbeing, provides prescribed care, and gives clear return instructions.

Purpose

  • Prevent progression to severe pre-eclampsia or eclampsia
  • Monitor maternal and fetal wellbeing
  • Support safe outpatient or inpatient management and birth planning

Indications

  • Hypertension with proteinuria or other mild features without severe symptoms
  • Stable woman requiring repeat blood pressure, urine, laboratory, or fetal assessment
  • Follow-up after an abnormal antenatal finding

Equipment

  • Validated blood-pressure apparatus
  • Urine and laboratory testing supplies
  • Antenatal and observation records
  • Fetal assessment equipment
  • Referral and emergency contact information

Preparation

  • Review trends and ensure the woman can access transport, monitoring, and emergency care.
  • Use current local protocol.

Procedure steps

  • Confirm blood-pressure readings, gestation, symptoms, proteinuria, medications, previous results, and risk factors.
  • Assess for severe headache, visual symptoms, epigastric pain, breathlessness, neurological signs, and reduced fetal movement.
  • Perform maternal examination, urine and laboratory tests, and fetal assessment according to policy.
  • Discuss observation setting, activity, medicines, follow-up frequency, and delivery planning with the authorized team.
  • Provide prescribed antihypertensive or other treatment and monitor response.
  • Give clear danger-sign and emergency-contact instructions.
  • Review blood pressure, symptoms, urine, fetal status, and laboratory trends at each contact.
  • Escalate any severe feature, worsening trend, abnormal fetal assessment, or inability to attend follow-up.
  • Document assessment, classification, advice, treatment, referral, and plan.
  • Ensure continuity and postnatal follow-up planning.

Precautions

  • Mild disease can progress rapidly; never provide false reassurance.
  • Do not recommend unmonitored bed rest or fluid restriction.
  • Use accurate blood pressure and follow-up schedules.
  • Escalate severe symptoms or fetal concern immediately.

Aftercare

  • Arrange repeat appointments and postnatal blood-pressure review.
  • Coordinate social or transport support if follow-up is difficult.

Nursing considerations

  • Use trend-based surveillance and shared decisions.
  • Confirm the woman knows exactly where to go in an emergency.

Patient education

  • Attend all monitoring, take prescribed medicines, and seek urgent care for severe headache, visual change, pain, breathlessness, seizures, or reduced movement.
  • Explain that disease may worsen.

Documentation

  • Record readings, symptoms, protein, labs, fetal findings, treatment, education, follow-up, and escalation.
  • Document reason for outpatient or inpatient plan.

References and further reading

Educational resource only. Follow current Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance, local institutional protocols, scope of practice, and clinical supervision.

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