What should a nurse do if fetal heart rate (FHR) and the mother's radial pulse are synchronized while assessing FHR?

When assessing fetal heart rate (FHR) using a fetoscope, finding that the FHR and the mother's radial pulse are synchronized indicates that the nurse may be mistakenly counting the mother's heart rate rather than the fetus's. Since the radial pulse and FHR should not match, moving the fetoscope to another area on the abdomen is the appropriate action to ensure accurate assessment. This repositioning allows the nurse to find a spot where the FHR can be clearly distinguished from the maternal pulse, thus enabling a precise reading of the fetal heart rate.

Counting both heart rates simultaneously without differentiating between them can lead to incorrect interpretations about the fetal condition, so adjusting the location of the fetoscope is vital for obtaining an accurate measure of FHR. Other options would not solve the issue of synchronization and could lead to confusion or potential misdiagnosis.