What should a nurse regulate the IV to when infusing D 5½ normal saline at 120 mL/hr with a drop factor of 10 drops/mL?

To calculate the proper IV flow rate in drops per minute when infusing a solution, you can use the formula:

Flow rate (gtts/min) = (Volume in mL/hr × Drop factor) ÷ 60 min/hr

In this scenario, the nurse is infusing D5½ normal saline at 120 mL/hr and the drop factor is 10 drops/mL. First, we need to plug these values into the formula.

1. Multiply the volume by the drop factor:

120 mL/hr × 10 drops/mL = 1200 drops/hr

2. Now, divide by 60 to convert drops per hour to drops per minute:

1200 drops/hr ÷ 60 min/hr = 20 drops/min

Therefore, the correct IV flow rate should be set to 20 gtts/min. This ensures that the infusion rate is accurate and the patient receives the correct volume of fluid over time.