Medication Interpretation and Dosage

Medication Interpretation and Dosage

Overview:

In nursing practice, accurate use of medical terminology and safe medication calculation are critical skills. This assignment gives you the opportunity to demonstrate how well you can interpret medical documentation and perform basic to advanced dosage calculations using dimensional analysis.

Check tips on how to do your Nursing Assignments.

Your Task:

Complete a 2-part assignment that combines interpretation of medical terms with dosage calculation scenarios. Your work should demonstrate clear reasoning, step-by-step problem-solving, and correct use of clinical language.

Part 1: Medical Terminology in Clinical Documentation (40 points)

You are reviewing a sample patient chart with the following excerpt:

Documentation Note:

“The patient presents with tachypnea and hypotension. A bronchoscopy was performed to assess the lower airways. Post procedure, the patient received acetaminophen 650 mg PO q6h PRN for fever. Recommend follow-up with pulmonology.”

Medication Interpretation and Dosage

Instructions:

Identify and define five medical terms (medications are not considered medical terms) used in the excerpt, breaking each down into its word parts (prefix, root, suffix).

Translate the last medication line into non-medical language.

Summarize the patient’s situation in clinical language using at least three appropriate medical terms.

Part 2: Dosage Calculation Scenarios (60 points)

Complete the following problems using dimensional analysis. Show all steps clearly. Must be handwritten and show your dimensional analysis steps.

Oral Dose Calculation

Order: Acetaminophen 650 mg PO q6h PRN

Supply: Acetaminophen tablets 325 mg/tablet

Question: How many tablets will the patient receive per dose?

Topical Medication Calculation

Order: Apply 1.5 g of a topical antibiotic cream

Supply: 30 g tube, label reads “15 mg of drug per gram of cream”

Check tips on how to do your Nursing Assignments.

Question: How many mg of the drug will the patient receive per application?

Non-IV Parenteral Dose

Order: Give 0.3 mL of a 1mg/mL epinephrine solution IM

Question: How many mg of epinephrine is delivered?

IV Flow Rate Calculation

Order: 1000 mL NS over 8 hours

Tubing: Drop factor = 20 gtt/mL

Medication Interpretation and Dosage

Question: Calculate the IV flow rate in gtt/min.

Pediatric Dose Calculation

Order: Amoxicillin 20 mg/kg/day divided BID

Patient weight: 18 kg

Question: What is the single dose of amoxicillin?

Tips for Success:

For Part 1: Use proper word part analysis and explain clearly.

For Part 2: Label units, cancel appropriately, and double-check your work.

Show your process even if you’re unsure—reasoning is part of the grade.

Due Date: Sunday at 11:59 PM at the end of Module 10