MEDICATION CALCULATION REVIEW
Adult Health 1
Lewicki
Fall, 2019
OVERVIEW
MUST make an 90% or higher to pass medications in clinical.
RETAKES are allowed!
Combination of multiple-choice questions and calculations.
Multiple choice questions will involve rules of administration,
conversions, and calculations.
Conversions include mcg to mg, pounds to kg
CALCULATION TYPES
Standard: how many capsules/tablets will the nurse give.
How many milliliters will be given.
Weight based calculations.
Divided doses
IV rates: mL/hr
IV drip rates
Correct syringe dose.
Time
MULTIPLE CHOICE: CORRECT ORDERS
Which of the following medication doses are correctly written.
Select all that apply
a) Synthroid .25mg p.o. daily- What is wrong
b) Lisinopril 25mg p.o daily
c) Synthroid 0.25mg p.o, daily
d) Lisinopril 25.0mg p.o. daily
Does the dot after o matter?
MULTIPLE CHOICE: CONVERSIONS
Give synthroid 50mcg PO every morning.” Which of the following
correctly depicts the dose in milligrams?
a)0.5mg
b)0.05mg
c)0.050mg
d)50000mg
QUESTIONS: STANDARD DOSING
Doctor ordered Amoxicillin 500 mg po every 12 hours.
Available: Amoxicillin 250 mg tablets.
How many tablets will the nurse administer?
QUESTION: STANDARD CALCULATION
Doctor orders Acetaminophen 650 mg po.
Available: Acetaminophen elixir 160 mg in 5 mL.
How many mL will the nurse administer? (Round to the nearest whole number).
HINT: When performing medication calculations—always think about what you are
administering—can you actually measure the dose you get?
QUESTION: WEIGHT BASED CALCULATION
Doctor orders enoxaparin 1 mg/kg subcutaneously daily.
Patient weighs 165 pounds.
1. How many kg does the patient weigh?
2. How many mg of enoxaparin should the patient receive?
3. Available dose is 40 mg/0.4 mL. How many mL will the nurse administer? (Round to nearest
decimal point).
HINT #1: Rounding usually occurs at the end of the equation.
HINT #2: although the / often means divided. In this case it means per, as in for each 1 kg of
weight the patient will receive 1 mg of medication.
QUESTION: DIVIDED DOSES
Doctor orders Cloxacillin 1 g/day po in four divided doses every 6 hours.
1. How many milligrams should the patient receive every 6 hours?
2. Available is Cloxacillin 250 mg capsules. How many capsules will the patient
receive every 6 hours?
HINT: When something is ordered in grams (or liters) convert to mg (or mL). This
makes it easier to calculate.
QUESTION: CALCULATE GTT/MIN
An IV bolus of 100 mL is ordered to infuse in 30 mins on a set calibrated at 20
gtt/mL.
Calculate the flow rate in gtt/min
HINT: You cannot count a partial drop
QUESTION: GTT/MIN
An IV of 500 mL is ordered to infuse in
10hr on a set calibrated at 20 gtt/mL.
Calculate the flow rate in gtt/min.
QUESTION: CALCULATE RATE IN ML/HR
Morphine Sulfate 2mg/hr from a 50 mg/50 mL of D5W solution has been ordered.
Calculate the mL/hr flow rate
QUESTION: MEASURE IN SYRINGE
The doctor orders 15 units of Regular Insulin to be administered subcutaneously STAT.
Mark on the syringe below the measurement.
QUESTION: CALCULATE TIME
At 08:00 am. a 1000mL bag of TPN is started at a rate of 100 mL/hr. At what time
will the infusion be completed? State answer in military time