You will generally be given the IV tubing set’s drip factor (frequently 10 gtt/mL, 15 gtt/mL, or 60 gtt/mL), the dose, and how quickly the medication should be infused. However, you will be asked questions regarding drip rates and drip factors. The final answer will have the unit of mL/hr, right?Īs a general rule, IV infusions are administered using an IV pump that runs in mL/hr. At what rate should the nurse program the IV pump? The patient has been prescribed 1000 mL lactated ringers over 8 hours. What is the available concentration? It’s 1100 mg/11 mL, or 100 mg/mL.How many mL does the patient require?Ī lot of words in this question, right? Break it down like this: Once mixed, the volume in the bottle is 11 mL. The patient is ordered to receive 575 mg of an infusion that must first be diluted with 10 mL of sterile water. This is the same as the equation below, but all the units are aligned and easy to see:Ī shortcut for this equation is to simply think in your head (or on paper): How many mL will you administer to the patient? The vial states that the concentration is 3mg/mL. The patient is ordered to receive 0.45 mg of an intravenous medication. The simplest equation in medication calculation is this: How many tabs will you administer to the patient? Write your answer to the nearest tenth decimal place. The patient is ordered to receive 300mg of a medication.
The types of medication have been left out to decrease distractors. The central tenet of medication calculation is to simply align your equation so that the necessary units “cancel out” and you’re left with the desired unit. We’ll use examples to talk how about the important equations you need to remember for the NCLEX and your nursing practice. What if the pharmacists sent the incorrect concentration? You are the last line of defense protecting your patients from preventable harm. Maybe the provider ordered the wrong dose. However, it’s good practice to always double check the math. With the advent of electronic medication administration records and computerized medication dispensaries (like a Pyxis), it’s easy to get complacent and defer your own calculation in favor of what the eMAR tells you to administer. Beyond simply being tested on medication calculation, it is an invaluable skill that will save your patient’s lives (as well as your license!). Once you’ve started orientation for your new job, you will almost certainly have to pass another, more substantial med calc test. You’ve already passed at least one in nursing school, likely before you were able to touch a patient in clinicals. Medication calculation goes far beyond the NCLEX in terms of importance to your nursing career.
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