ATI DOSAGE CALCULATION RN ADULT
MEDICAL SURGICAL REVIEW PACK 2026
FULLY SOLVED QUESTION SET
◉ A nurse is preparing to administer lorazepam 0.05 mg/kg IM 2
hours prior to surgery to a patient who weighs 138 lb. Available is
lorazepam injection 2 mg/mL. How many mL should the nurse
administer?
(Round answer to nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do
not use a trailing zero.)
Answer: Answer: 1.6 mL
Step 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
kg
Step 2: Set up an equation and solve for X.
2.2 lb/ 1 kg = Client's weight in lb/X kg
2.2 lb/1 kg = 138 lb/X kg
X kg = 62.727272 kg
Step 3: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mg
Step 4: Set up an equation and solve for X.
,X = Dose per kg × Client's weight in kg
X mg = 0.05 mg/kg × 62.727272 kg
X mg = 3.136363 mg
Step 5: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mL
Step 6: What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to
administer = Desired 3.136363 mg
Step 7: What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 2 mg
Step 8: Should the nurse convert the units of measurement? No
Step 9: What is the quantity of the dose available? 1 mL
Step 10: Set up an equation and solve for X.
Have/Quantity = Desired/X
2 mg/ 1 mL = 3.136363 mg/X mL
X mL = 1.568181 mL
Step 11: Round if necessary. 1.568181 mL = 1.6 mL
Step 12: Determine whether the amount to administer makes sense.
If there are 2 mg/mL and the prescription reads lorazepam 0.05
mg/kg, it makes sense to administer 1.6 mL. The nurse should
administer lorazepam injection 1.6 mL IM.
◉ A nurse is preparing to administer midazolam 0.07 mg/kg IM to a
patient who weighs 50 kg. Available is midazolam 5 mg/mL. How
many mL should the nurse administer?
, (Round answer to nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do
not use a trailing zero.)
Answer: Answer: 0.7 mL
Follow these steps for the Ratio and Proportion method of
calculation:
Step 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mg
Step 2: Set up an equation and solve for X.
X = Dose per kg × Client's weight in kg
X mg = 0.07 mg/kg × 50 kg
X mg = 3.5 mg
Step 3: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mL
Step 4: What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to
administer = Desired 3.5 mg
Step 5: What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 5 mg
Step 6: Should the nurse convert the units of measurement? No
Step 7: What is the quantity of the dose available? 1 mL
Step 8: Set up an equation and solve for X.
Have/Quantity = Desired/X
5 mg/1 mL = 3.5 mg/ X mL
X mL = 0.7 mL
MEDICAL SURGICAL REVIEW PACK 2026
FULLY SOLVED QUESTION SET
◉ A nurse is preparing to administer lorazepam 0.05 mg/kg IM 2
hours prior to surgery to a patient who weighs 138 lb. Available is
lorazepam injection 2 mg/mL. How many mL should the nurse
administer?
(Round answer to nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do
not use a trailing zero.)
Answer: Answer: 1.6 mL
Step 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
kg
Step 2: Set up an equation and solve for X.
2.2 lb/ 1 kg = Client's weight in lb/X kg
2.2 lb/1 kg = 138 lb/X kg
X kg = 62.727272 kg
Step 3: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mg
Step 4: Set up an equation and solve for X.
,X = Dose per kg × Client's weight in kg
X mg = 0.05 mg/kg × 62.727272 kg
X mg = 3.136363 mg
Step 5: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mL
Step 6: What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to
administer = Desired 3.136363 mg
Step 7: What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 2 mg
Step 8: Should the nurse convert the units of measurement? No
Step 9: What is the quantity of the dose available? 1 mL
Step 10: Set up an equation and solve for X.
Have/Quantity = Desired/X
2 mg/ 1 mL = 3.136363 mg/X mL
X mL = 1.568181 mL
Step 11: Round if necessary. 1.568181 mL = 1.6 mL
Step 12: Determine whether the amount to administer makes sense.
If there are 2 mg/mL and the prescription reads lorazepam 0.05
mg/kg, it makes sense to administer 1.6 mL. The nurse should
administer lorazepam injection 1.6 mL IM.
◉ A nurse is preparing to administer midazolam 0.07 mg/kg IM to a
patient who weighs 50 kg. Available is midazolam 5 mg/mL. How
many mL should the nurse administer?
, (Round answer to nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do
not use a trailing zero.)
Answer: Answer: 0.7 mL
Follow these steps for the Ratio and Proportion method of
calculation:
Step 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mg
Step 2: Set up an equation and solve for X.
X = Dose per kg × Client's weight in kg
X mg = 0.07 mg/kg × 50 kg
X mg = 3.5 mg
Step 3: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate?
mL
Step 4: What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to
administer = Desired 3.5 mg
Step 5: What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 5 mg
Step 6: Should the nurse convert the units of measurement? No
Step 7: What is the quantity of the dose available? 1 mL
Step 8: Set up an equation and solve for X.
Have/Quantity = Desired/X
5 mg/1 mL = 3.5 mg/ X mL
X mL = 0.7 mL
