Saunders Fundamentals Medications/IV Calculation
1) The nurse is completing a time tape for a 1000-mL intravenous (IV) bag that is
scheduled to infuse over 8 hours. The nurse has just placed the 1100 marking at the
500-mL level. The nurse would place the mark for 1200 at which numerical level (mL)
on the time tape? Fill in the blank.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 375 mL Your text here 1
Rationale:
If the IV is scheduled to run over 8 hours, the hourly rate is 125 mL/hour. Using 500 mL
as the reference point, the next hourly marking would be at 375 mL, which is 125 mL
less than 500.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
2) A health care provider's prescription reads 1000 mL of normal saline (NS) to infuse
over 12 hours. The drop factor is 15 drops (gtt)/1 mL. The nurse prepares to set the flow
rate at how many drops per minute? Fill in the blank. Record your answer to the
nearest whole number.
_______ drops per minute
Correct answer: 21 drops per minute
Rationale:
Use the intravenous (IV) flow rate formula.
Formula:
Total volume × Drop factor
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– = gtt/min
Time in minutes
1000 mL × 15 gtt 15,000
–––––––––––––––– = –––––– = 20.8 gtt/min
720 minutes 720
= 21 gtt/min
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
,Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
3) A health care provider's prescription reads to administer an intravenous (IV) dose of
400,000 units of penicillin G benzathine. The label on the 10-mL ampule sent from the
pharmacy reads penicillin G benzathine, 300,000 units/mL. The nurse prepares how
much medication to administer the correct dose? Fill in the blank. Record your
answer using 1 decimal place.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 1.3 mL
Rationale:
Use the medication dose formula.
Formula:
Desired × mL
–––––––––––– = mL/dose
Available
400,000 units × 1 mL
–––––––––––––––––––– = mL/dose
300,000 units
400,000 units
––––––––––––– = 1.33 = 1.3 mL
300,000 units
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
4) A health care provider's prescription reads potassium chloride 30 mEq to be added to
1000 mL normal saline (NS) and to be administered over a 10-hour period. The label on
the medication bottle reads 40 mEq/20 mL. The nurse prepares how many milliliters of
potassium chloride to administer the correct dose of medication? Fill in the blank.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 15 mL
Rationale:
In most facilities, potassium chloride is premixed in the intravenous solution and the
nurse will need to verify the correct dose before administration. In some cases the nurse
will need to add the potassium chloride and will use the medication calculation formula
to determine the mL to be added.
,Formula:
Desired × mL
–––––––––––– = mL/dose
Available
30 mEq × 20 mL
–––––––––––––– = 15 mL
40 mEq
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
5) A health care provider's prescription reads clindamycin phosphate 0.3 g in 50 mL
normal saline (NS) to be administered intravenously over 30 minutes. The medication
label reads clindamycin phosphate 900 mg in 6 mL. The nurse prepares how many
milliliters of the medication to administer the correct dose? Fill in the blank.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 2 mL
Rationale:
You must convert 0.3 g to milligrams. In the metric system, to convert larger to smaller,
multiply by 1000 or move the decimal 3 places to the right. Therefore, 0.3 g = 300 mg.
Following conversion from grams to milligrams, use the formula to calculate the correct
dose.
Formula:
Desired × mL
–––––––––––– = mL/dose
Available
300 mg × 6 mL
–––––––––––––
900 mg
300 mg × 6 mL
= –––––––––––––– = 2 mL
900 mg
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
, 6) A health care provider's prescription reads phenytoin 0.2 g orally twice daily. The
medication label states that each capsule is 100 mg. The nurse prepares how many
capsule(s) to administer 1 dose? Fill in the blank.
_______ capsules
Correct answer: 2 capsules
Rationale:
You must convert 0.2 g to milligrams. In the metric system, to convert larger to smaller,
multiply by 1000 or move the decimal point 3 places to the right. Therefore, 0.2 g
equals 200 mg. After conversion from grams to milligrams, use the formula to calculate
the correct dose.
Formula:
Desired × Capsule(s)
–––––––––––––––––––– = Capsule(s)/dose
Available
200 mg × 1 Capsule
–––––––––––––––––– = 2 Capsules
100 mg
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
7) A health care provider prescribes 1000 mL of normal saline 0.9% to infuse over 8
hours. The drop factor is 15 drops (gtt)/1 mL. The nurse sets the flow rate at how many
drops per minute? Fill in the blank. Record your answer to the nearest whole
number.
_______ drops per minute
Correct answer: 31 drops per minute
Rationale:
Use the intravenous (IV) flow rate formula.
Formula:
Total volume × Drop factor
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– = gtt/min
Time in minutes
1000 mL × 15 gtt 15,000
–––––––––––––––– = –––––– = 31.2 gtt/min
480 minutes 480
1) The nurse is completing a time tape for a 1000-mL intravenous (IV) bag that is
scheduled to infuse over 8 hours. The nurse has just placed the 1100 marking at the
500-mL level. The nurse would place the mark for 1200 at which numerical level (mL)
on the time tape? Fill in the blank.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 375 mL Your text here 1
Rationale:
If the IV is scheduled to run over 8 hours, the hourly rate is 125 mL/hour. Using 500 mL
as the reference point, the next hourly marking would be at 375 mL, which is 125 mL
less than 500.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
2) A health care provider's prescription reads 1000 mL of normal saline (NS) to infuse
over 12 hours. The drop factor is 15 drops (gtt)/1 mL. The nurse prepares to set the flow
rate at how many drops per minute? Fill in the blank. Record your answer to the
nearest whole number.
_______ drops per minute
Correct answer: 21 drops per minute
Rationale:
Use the intravenous (IV) flow rate formula.
Formula:
Total volume × Drop factor
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– = gtt/min
Time in minutes
1000 mL × 15 gtt 15,000
–––––––––––––––– = –––––– = 20.8 gtt/min
720 minutes 720
= 21 gtt/min
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
,Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
3) A health care provider's prescription reads to administer an intravenous (IV) dose of
400,000 units of penicillin G benzathine. The label on the 10-mL ampule sent from the
pharmacy reads penicillin G benzathine, 300,000 units/mL. The nurse prepares how
much medication to administer the correct dose? Fill in the blank. Record your
answer using 1 decimal place.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 1.3 mL
Rationale:
Use the medication dose formula.
Formula:
Desired × mL
–––––––––––– = mL/dose
Available
400,000 units × 1 mL
–––––––––––––––––––– = mL/dose
300,000 units
400,000 units
––––––––––––– = 1.33 = 1.3 mL
300,000 units
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
4) A health care provider's prescription reads potassium chloride 30 mEq to be added to
1000 mL normal saline (NS) and to be administered over a 10-hour period. The label on
the medication bottle reads 40 mEq/20 mL. The nurse prepares how many milliliters of
potassium chloride to administer the correct dose of medication? Fill in the blank.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 15 mL
Rationale:
In most facilities, potassium chloride is premixed in the intravenous solution and the
nurse will need to verify the correct dose before administration. In some cases the nurse
will need to add the potassium chloride and will use the medication calculation formula
to determine the mL to be added.
,Formula:
Desired × mL
–––––––––––– = mL/dose
Available
30 mEq × 20 mL
–––––––––––––– = 15 mL
40 mEq
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
5) A health care provider's prescription reads clindamycin phosphate 0.3 g in 50 mL
normal saline (NS) to be administered intravenously over 30 minutes. The medication
label reads clindamycin phosphate 900 mg in 6 mL. The nurse prepares how many
milliliters of the medication to administer the correct dose? Fill in the blank.
_______ mL
Correct answer: 2 mL
Rationale:
You must convert 0.3 g to milligrams. In the metric system, to convert larger to smaller,
multiply by 1000 or move the decimal 3 places to the right. Therefore, 0.3 g = 300 mg.
Following conversion from grams to milligrams, use the formula to calculate the correct
dose.
Formula:
Desired × mL
–––––––––––– = mL/dose
Available
300 mg × 6 mL
–––––––––––––
900 mg
300 mg × 6 mL
= –––––––––––––– = 2 mL
900 mg
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
, 6) A health care provider's prescription reads phenytoin 0.2 g orally twice daily. The
medication label states that each capsule is 100 mg. The nurse prepares how many
capsule(s) to administer 1 dose? Fill in the blank.
_______ capsules
Correct answer: 2 capsules
Rationale:
You must convert 0.2 g to milligrams. In the metric system, to convert larger to smaller,
multiply by 1000 or move the decimal point 3 places to the right. Therefore, 0.2 g
equals 200 mg. After conversion from grams to milligrams, use the formula to calculate
the correct dose.
Formula:
Desired × Capsule(s)
–––––––––––––––––––– = Capsule(s)/dose
Available
200 mg × 1 Capsule
–––––––––––––––––– = 2 Capsules
100 mg
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals of Care: Medication/IV Calculations
Strategy(ies): Subject
Priority Concepts: Clinical Judgment, Safety
7) A health care provider prescribes 1000 mL of normal saline 0.9% to infuse over 8
hours. The drop factor is 15 drops (gtt)/1 mL. The nurse sets the flow rate at how many
drops per minute? Fill in the blank. Record your answer to the nearest whole
number.
_______ drops per minute
Correct answer: 31 drops per minute
Rationale:
Use the intravenous (IV) flow rate formula.
Formula:
Total volume × Drop factor
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– = gtt/min
Time in minutes
1000 mL × 15 gtt 15,000
–––––––––––––––– = –––––– = 31.2 gtt/min
480 minutes 480
