What equipment does a nurse use to assess the fetal heart rate at 14 weeks of pregnancy?

At 14 weeks of pregnancy, a Doppler transducer is the most effective equipment for assessing the fetal heart rate. This device uses ultrasound technology to detect the fetal heartbeat, which becomes audible around this stage of gestation. The Doppler transducer is non-invasive and allows for a clear and continuous monitoring of the fetal heart rate, making it suitable for early pregnancy assessments.

The fetal heart rate is typically too faint to be detected reliably with a stethoscope or fetoscope at this early stage. Additionally, while using a pulse oximeter is useful for measuring maternal oxygen saturation, it is not designed to monitor fetal heart rates. Therefore, the Doppler transducer is the appropriate choice for accurately assessing fetal heart function at 14 weeks.