Central New Mexico Community College

Nursing Program

CCT Practice Problems

1. A patient is to receive a daily dose of 240 mg of a medication. The dose is to be divided

evenly so that the drug is given every 6 hours. How many mg of drug should be given at each
dose?__________________________

2. A child, weighing 35.2 lbs. is to receive 6 mg/kg/day of Gentamycin in evenly divided doses
every 8 hours. How many mgs should she receive in each dose?________________________

3. In discharge teaching, you tell the parent that their child is to receive a 480 mg of oral
acetaminophen every 8 hours PRN. The parent is given a dosage measuring cup to dispense the
dose. The oral medication is supplied with the label stating that the solution contains 160 mg/5
mL. How many teaspoons per dose should the parent be instructed to give their child?
________________________ & place a mark on the diagram below indicating the mLs required.

4. An IV medication dosage of 400-800 mcg/min has been ordered to regulate blood pressure.
The solution infusing has a concentration of 200 mg in 50 mL. Calculate the flow rate range in
mL/hr._________________________

5. (Refer to question 4) After several adjustments within the dosage range, the blood pressure
has been regulated at an IV flow rate of 9 mL/hr. The solution infusing has a concentration of
200 mg/50 mL. How many mcg is the patient now receiving per minute?
________________________________

6.
The provider orders: Infuse Nafcillin 0.5 gram diluted in 50 mL normal saline to run over 45
minutes using an infusion pump. Calculate the mL per hour. ______________

7. An order is entered for Tazicef 0.25 g IV every 12 hours. The medication is supplied in a 1 g
vial with instructions to add 10 mL of bacteriostatic water to provide 95 mg/mL. How many mL
would you administer?____________________________

(8 9) Nitrofurantoin oral suspension is ordered 25 mg PO every 6 hours for a child weighing

37.4 lb. The recommended dosage is 2.2 mg to 3.2 mg/lb/day. The available medication has a
label that reads 5 mg/mL in 60 mL of suspension.
8. What is the recommended daily dosage range for this child?_________________________________
9. How many mL will be given for each dose?__________________________________

(10-11) A 1 g vial of streptomycin sulfate is available in powdered form with the following
directions: Dilute with 1.8 mL bacteriostatic water will yield 400 mg/mL.
10. How many mL will you need to administer a 350 mg dosage?___________________________
11. Mark the appropriate amount of mLs on the syringe diagram (below):

12. An order is written for Depakote 500 mg PO at bedtime (2100). Depakote is supplied in a
syrup labeled 200 mg in each 5 mL. How many mL will be administered every 24 hours?
________________________

13. An order for Ativan 1 mg PO every 4 hours is written for agitation. Ativan is supplied as 500
mcg tablets. How many tablets will be administered for each dose?_______________________

14. Nexium (esomeptrazole magnesium) 20 mg in 50 mL D5W is to infuse over 20 minutes. At

what rate will you set the IV pump in mL/hour?____________________________________________

15. Order: hyoscyamine sulfate oral solution 0.0225 mg PO 4 times per day for an infant. The
recommended dose for this anticholinergic drug is 0.0625 to 0.125 mg every 4 hours PRN. The
medication label reads 0.125 mg/mL. If the dose is safe, how many milliliters will you administer
per dose?____________
16. The prescriber ordered an insulin drip of Humulin R Regular Insulin, 120 Units IV in 150 mL of
Lactated Ringers solution. It is to infuse at 10 mL/hour. How many Units/hour of insulin will the
patient receive? _______________________________________________________________

17. A provider orders isoproterenol to be infused at 3 mcg per minute. The pharmacy supplies a
solution containing 1 mg per 250 mls normal saline. To administer the correct dose the nurse
should set the infusion pump at how many mls per hour?
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18. A patient has an order for isosorbide dinitrate SR, 80 mg PO. every 8 hours. Using the label
below, how many SR capsules would the nurse administer in 24 hours?
_____________________________

19. The physician has written an order for triazolam 125 mcg PO at 2100. Using the label below,
how many [scored] tablets would you administer? ___________________________________

20. Refer to the information insert below for vancomycin and locate the amount of diluent that
must be added to reconstitute a 1 g vial when you are preparing to give the medication:
________________________
Vanocin HCl
Sterile Vancomycin
PREPARATION AND STABILITY
At the time of use, reconstitute by adding either 10 mL of Sterile Water for Injection to the 500
mg vial or 20 mL of Sterile Water for Injection to the 1 g vial of dry, sterile vancomycin powder.
Vials reconstituted in this matter will give a solution of 50 mg/mL.
FURTHER DILUTION IS REQUIRED.
After reconstitution, the vials may be stored in a refrigerator for 14 days without significant
loss of potency. Reconstituted solutions containing 500 mg of vancomycin must be diluted with
at least 100 mL of dilutent. Reconstituted solutions containing 1 g of vancomycin must be
diluted with at least 200 mL of dilutent. The desired dose, diluted in this manner, should be
administered by intermittent intravenous infusion over a period of at least 60 minutes.

21. The physician has prescribed ampicillin 50 mg per kg per day PO administered in divided
doses every 6 hours for a child who weighs 44 lb. The available supply is an oral suspension
ampicillin labeled 125 mg/5 mL. How many mL of medication should the child receive per dose?
____________________________________

(22-23) At the end of your 8-hour shift, you are calculating intake and output for your patient.
When you received report from the previous shift, it was stated that this patient had 375 mL
remaining in her IV for you to count. During your shift, the patient ate 1 egg and a slice of toast
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for breakfast and had a hamburger, French fries and 4 oz. of tea for lunch. She also drank 2
cartons of milk at 8 oz each and had 150 mL of Dr. Pepper. The patient then became nauseated
(no wonderlook what she ate!!) She vomited 150 mL. She also started having stomach cramps
and passed 2 stools. After vomiting, she has only eaten and retained one 90 mL Popsicle. She
voided clear yellow urine 3 times during your shift: 250 mL, 365 mL, 200 mL respectfully. You
hung a new 1000 mL bag of IV fluid, which now has 650 mL left in it. The patient also received
Keflex 250 mg in 50 mL of normal saline (IV) one time during your shift.
22. What is the total intake for this patient?_____________________________
23. What is the total output for this patient?____________________________
24. The physician has ordered cefpodoxime proxetil (Vantin) 125 mg PO every 12 hours for a
child who weighs 55 pounds. Refer to the label of the drug on hand (below). Calculate the
amount of mLs the nurse should administer per dose. _______________________________________

25. A patient is to receive hydroxyzine hydrochloride (Vistaril) 25 mg IM PRN. Refer to the label
of the drug on hand (below). Calculate the dosage in mLs ________________________, and indicate
the amount on the syringe diagram below:

26. The physician has prescribed theophylline 3 mg per kg of body weight to be

administered every 6 hours orally, for a 55-lb child. The drug on hand is labeled 150 mg/15 mL.
How many milliliters should the nurse administer per dose?_______________________

27. A physician order reads: Atropine 0.3 mg subcutaneously every 4 hours. The supply on
hand is Atropine 0.6 mg/mL. How many mL will the nurse administer?__________

28. The physician writes an order for Na+ Heparin 7000 Units twice daily for your patient. You
look at the bottle of Heparin you have on hand, and see that it contains Na + Heparin 5000
Units/0.5 mL. How many mLs will you administer per dose? ___________________________

Mark the correct amount on the syringe:

29. A volume of 2500 mL to infuse in 24 hr. The tubing set is calibrated at 20 drop/mL. Calculate
the drop/minute rate: _______________________________
30. A medication volume of 20 mL to be administered in 20 min using a 60 drop/mL tubing set.
Calculate the drop/minute rate:_______________________
31. You discover that an IV is running ahead of schedule and must slow it down. 725 mL is
remaining and the IV has an additional 6 hours to run. The tubing set in use is a 10 drops/mL.
What is the new drop/minute rate?______________________________________
32. 1000 mL were to run over 6 hr. After 3 hr only 425 mL have infused. The set being used is
15 drops/mL. Calculate a new drop/minute flow rate to complete this IV fluid administration on
time. ________________________
33. An IV with 800 mL remaining is running at 25 drops/min on a 15 drop/mL set. How many
hours will it take to infuse? ____________________________________________
34. If the infusion rate found in question 33 was started at 14:10 on August 21 st, when would it
be complete (answer in hours & minutes)?___________________________________________
35. You are caring for a patient who underwent a total hip arthroplasty yesterday morning. He
has an order for pipercillin 600 mg IM 3 times per day. The pharmacy provides you a vial of
pipercillin powder labeled 4 g. The directions state to add 7.8 mL of sterile water to yield 1 g per
2.5 mL. How many mLs of the reconstituted medication will you administer to this patient for
each dose?_________________________________________________
36. Order: heparin 7000 units twice per day. The pharmacy provides a vial with heparin 10,000
units per mL
Calculate mLs per dose _____________________________

37. Order: Infuse 1000 mL NS at 125 mL/hr. Tubing calibration is 10 drops/mL.

The patient will receive __________________________ drops per minute.
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38. The physician orders: 1000 mL of 0.45% NS with 20,000 Units of heparin IV. Drop factor is
15 drops/mL and the flow rate is 15 drops/min. Calculate the Units per hour___________________

39. Order: Cefizox (ceftizoxime sodium) 0.6 g IM every 12 hours. Available: 1 g vial of Cefizox.
Directions: Reconstitute the 1 g vial with 3 mL of sterile water for injection, to yield 270 mg/mL.
How many mL should you give to equal the prescribed dose?_____________________
40. The physician writes an order for Rocephin 350 mg IM STAT. You have available a vial of
Rocephin powder labeled 250 mg. The directions on the drug label tell you to add 0.9 mL of
sterile water in order to yield 125 mg per 0.5 mL. How many mLs of the reconstituted drug will
you administer? ________________________________________
41. Use the following label for an order of Compazine 10 mg IM every 8 hours PRN.
Mark the mLs/dose to be given every 8 hours on the syringe diagram (below).

42. The physician orders a digitalizing dose IV digoxin 0.125 mg every 12 hr for a 9 month old
child weighing 5909 grams. It is recommended that the digitalizing dose for children from 1 24
months is 15 25 mcg/kg/day. What is the recommended maximum (safe) daily digitalizing dose,
in mcg, based on the drug literature for this child? _________________________
43. A patient has a continuous heparin infusion running at 1200 units per hour. The infusion bag
contains 25,000 units of heparin in 250 mL. What rate (mL per hour) will the nurse set the
infusion pump? ____________

44. Order: Pathocil 135 mg PO every 6 hours for a child who weighs 55 lb. The recommended
dosage of Pathocil for children weighing less than 40 kg is 12.5 25 mg/kg/day PO in equally
divided doses every 6 hours for moderate to severe infections. The recommended minimum
daily dosage (in mg) for this child is (a.) _________________ with a recommended maximum daily
dosage (in mg) of (b.) _____________________.

45. Identify the amount (Units) contained in the following syringe diagram:___________________
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46. How many units are demonstrated in the syringe diagram below?__________________

47.
A provider orders cyanocobalamin 200 mcg intramuscularly once per month. The
pharmacy provides the cyanocobalamin in vials containing 1000 mcg per mL. Calculate the
amount of solution the nurse will prepare to administer with a single dose. _________________

(48 49) Consider the following intake and output information for Ryan, age 14. Determine total
input and output using the supplied data, and answer questions at the end of the problem.
Shift hours:
IV infusing:

0700 to 1900
44 mL/hour (is on time)

You are a nurse on a pediatric unit of a local hospital and you work 12-hour shifts. At 0720, you
note that the patient has already consumed 8 oz. of water. The JP drain appears empty. Breakfast
trays arrive and Ryan states he is really hungry and is anxious to begin eating.
At 0800, you answer the patients call light and Ryan points to his urinal and you empty it for a
total of 528 mL of clear, yellow urine. The patient care technician has already picked up his
breakfast tray and has documented that he consumed an 8 oz. container of apple juice, 1.5 cups
of clear broth, 1 cup of orange Jello and a 12 oz. can of Sprite. While assessing Ryan and he
suddenly states he has to hurl!! You hand him an emesis basin in which proceeds to vomit 923
mLs of liquid vomit.
At 10:00 you check on Ryan and notice that the JP drain needs to be emptied, and you drain out
30 mLs of sero-sanguinous fluid. In addition, you empty the patients urinal of 152 mL urine.
For lunch at 1230, Ryan consumes 1 cup of orange Jello and one 12 ounce can of Sprite. He tells
you that he needs more water in his water pitcher, and you record 250 mLs of water intake.
You continue checking on Ryan throughout the afternoon and you note that between lunch and
1800, that the patient has had 310 mLs of urine output. Between 1800 and shifts end, Ryan
drinks another 12-oz. of Sprite. At the end of your shift, you empty the JP drain one more time of
20 mLs of sero-sanguinous fluid before completing the total shifts intake and output.
48. Intake ______________________
49. Output______________________
50. Auranolin 3 mg po every 8 hours. Supply: auranolin 6 mg [scored] tablets. How many
tablets will the patient need in one day?_______________________________
51. How many mLs are demonstrated in the syringe diagram below? ________________________

52. Prepare 1550 mg of Ticar (ticarcillin) from a vial that has the following directions:
Add 13 mL of sterile water to the vial, 200 mg = 1 mL. How many mLs will the nurse prepare to
administer? _________________________________

53. The maintenance dose of Gantrisin suspension is 150 mg/kg/day. Calculate the initial
[maintenance]dose, in mgs, of Gantrisin for a 44 lb. Child, if the initial dose is of the 24-hour
maintenance dose._________________________

54. An IVPB of Gentamycin 60 mg in 150 mL of D5W is to infuse over 1 hour. After 15 minutes
into the infusion, the nurse stops the IVPB because the patient begins to experience pain at the
IV insertion site. How many mg of Gentamycin did this patient receive in 15 minutes?
___________________
55. The physician orders potassium chloride to infuse at 2 mEq/hr. The pharmacy sends you
one liter of 5% dextrose/1/2 normal saline with 40 mEq potassium chloride.
The IV pump should be programmed to deliver how many mL/hr?__________________________
56. The physician orders acetaminophen 200 mg every 4 hr. PO PRN for temperature greater
than 38oC. You are caring for a child weighing 27 pounds with a temperature elevation of
38.5oC. The safe dosage range is 10-15 mg/kg/dose. What is the maximum [safe] individual
dose for this child?____________________________

57. An order reads: Decadron 1.5 mg PO 4 times/day. Childs weight is 66 lbs. Recommended
dose is 0.2 mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses.
(a.) Recommended mg per day for this child?_____________________
(b.) Recommended divided dose (in mg) for this child?_____________________

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Answer sheet

1.

______________________

28.

______________________

2.

______________________

29.

______________________

3.

______________________

30.

______________________

4.

______________________

31.

______________________

5.

______________________

32.

______________________

6.

______________________

33.

______________________

7.

______________________

34.

______________________

8.

______________________

35.

______________________

9.

______________________

36.

______________________

10.

______________________

37.

______________________

11.

______________________

38.

______________________

12.

______________________

39.

______________________

13.

______________________

40.

______________________

14.

______________________

41.

______________________

15.

______________________

42.

______________________

16.

______________________

43.

______________________

17.

______________________

44.

______________________

18.

______________________

45.

______________________

19.

______________________

46.

______________________

20.

______________________

47.

______________________

21.

______________________

48.

______________________

22.

______________________

49.

______________________

23.

______________________

50.

______________________

24.

______________________

51.

______________________

25.

______________________

52.

______________________

26.

______________________

53.

______________________

27.

______________________

54.

______________________

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55.

______________________

56.

______________________

57.

12

______________________