The most critical nursing action when caring for the newborn immediately after birth is: 1. ...

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1. Correct. The care given immediately after the birth focuses on assessing and stabilizing the newborn.
2. Incorrect. Although fostering parent-infant attachment is an important task for the nurse, it is not the most critical nursing action when caring for the newborn immediately after birth.
3. Incorrect. The care given immediately after birth focuses on assessing and stabilizing the newborn. The nursing activities would be (in order of importance) to maintain a patent airway, to support respiratory effort, and to prevent cold stress by drying the newborn and covering the newborn with a warmed blanket or placing the newborn under a radiant warmer.
4. Incorrect. After the newborn has been stabilized, the nurse will assess the newborn's physical condition, weigh and measure the infant, administer prophylactic eye ointment and a vitamin K injection, affix an identification bracelet, wrap the newborn in warm blankets, and then give the partner or the mother the infant when ready.