Rounding Rules:parenteral Intravenous infusion by gravity (gtts/min): round to a whole number Intravenous infusion by pump (mL/hr): round to the nearest tenthInjectable medications: For any volume less than 1 mL, round to the nearest hundredthFor any volume greater than 1 mL, round to the nearest tenthENTERALOral/NGT/PEG/J Tube: For any volume less than 1 mL, round to the nearest hundredthFor any volume greater then 1mL, round to the nearest tenthWEIGHT:POUNDS TO KILOGRAMS CONVERSIONS: round to the nearest tenth ___________________________________________Question: The prescriber orders Nitroprusside 5 mcg/kg/min. The medication available is labeled Nitroprusside 200 mg /250 mL.Patient weight: 205lbsCalculate the rate on the pump. Answer: 35.3 mL/hr (according to the answer key it says the answer is 35, but based on the rounding rules, wouldn't the answer be rounded to the tenth?)
loveofrn, BSN, RN 347 Posts Specializes in MICU. Has 3 years experience. Aug 3, 2014 I got 34.94 which should be rounded to 35
pmabraham, BSN, RN 2 Articles; 2,560 Posts Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care. Has 3 years experience. Aug 3, 2014 Good day:I got the same results.Thank you.
Nursing2102 276 Posts Aug 4, 2014 It says round to the nearest tenth, so why is everyone rounding to the whole number? That is what is throwing me off.
loriangel14, RN 6,931 Posts Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative. Aug 4, 2014 It says round to the nearest tenth, so why is everyone rounding to the whole number? That is what is throwing me off.If you are setting a pump I don't think you can set it to partial mls.
MrChicagoRN, RN 2,589 Posts Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care. Has 30 years experience. Aug 4, 2014 Plus, the difference between 34.9 and 35 ml/hr is only 0.00287% , and totals 2.4 ml over the entire 24 hours.The difference is insignificant. Remain calm and round off to the nearest whole number.
NICUmiiki, DNP, NP 1,774 Posts Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. Has 8 years experience. Aug 4, 2014 I've never seen a pump that will let you set it more precise than a whole number. That's why you would round to a whole number.You aren't just arbitrarily rounding numbers. It is all based on the instrument you'll use to administer the drug.The gtts/min rounds to a whole number because you (the nurse) cannot count 39.6 or 27.4 drops. For oral and injectable drugs, you round depending on the size syringe you'll use. 1 mL syringes are measured to the hundredth of a mL, and the bigger syringes get less precise as you go up.
FlyingScot, RN 2,016 Posts Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc. Has 28 years experience. Aug 4, 2014 I've never seen a pump that will let you set it more precise than a whole number. That's why you would round to a whole number. Actually, there are many pumps that allow you to do this and with infants and children it's important to have this ability.
NICUmiiki, DNP, NP 1,774 Posts Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. Has 8 years experience. Aug 5, 2014 Actually, there are many pumps that allow you to do this and with infants and children it's important to have this ability.You are so right. I didn't even think about syringe pumps and the like. Thanks!
smf0903 844 Posts Aug 5, 2014 It says round to the nearest tenth, so why is everyone rounding to the whole number? That is what is throwing me off.when the answer is 34.95, rounding to the nearest the to gives you 35. 34.95---> you are working with the .95 part of the answer. Since the tenths place happens to be a 9, it affects the whole number. If it were 34.75, it would become 34.8if it were 34.85, it would become 34.9Since it's 34.95, it becomes 35.0 (35 since trailing zeros are not allowed). Hopefully that makes sense? :)
