The nurse is preparing to assess a laboring primiparous patient who has just arrived in the labor ...

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Rationale 1: Cervical dilation is one aspect of the pelvic exam assessment.
Rationale 2: Determining the station of the presenting part is one aspect of the pelvic exam assessment.
Rationale 3: Cervical effacement, or the thinning of the cervix, is one aspect of the pelvic exam assessment.
Rationale 4: An experienced labor and birth nurse can estimate the time of delivery based on the cervix, fetal position, station, and contraction pattern. However, during a pelvic exam, no information is obtained about contractions. The nurse will not have enough information following the cervical exam to estimate time of birth.