If a nurse prepares to administer a 500 mL IV fluid bolus of 0.9% sodium chloride over 60 minutes, with a drop factor of 10 gtt/mL, how many drops per minute should be set?

To calculate the number of drops per minute when administering an IV fluid bolus, you need to determine the total volume of the fluid and the time over which it will be infused. In this case, a total of 500 mL is to be infused over 60 minutes with a drop factor of 10 gtt/mL.

First, determine the total number of drops that must be infused. This can be calculated by multiplying the total volume (in mL) by the drop factor (in gtt/mL):

Total drops = Total volume (mL) × Drop factor (gtt/mL)

Substituting the values:

Total drops = 500 mL × 10 gtt/mL = 5000 gtt

Next, to find the rate in drops per minute, divide the total number of drops by the total time of infusion (in minutes):

Drops per minute = Total drops / Total time (minutes)

Substituting the values:

Drops per minute = 5000 gtt / 60 min ≈ 83.33 gtt/min

When rounded to the nearest whole number, this equals approximately 83 gtt/min.

Thus, the calculation clearly demonstrates that administering the IV fluids at this rate allows