WGU HESI Med-Surg Exam: Medication Administration & Dosage Calculations Q&A

WGU Hesi Med Surg - The WGU HESI Med
Surg Exam, developed by Elsevier in
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WGU Hesi Med Surg

Question 1:

Penicillin G procaine 240,000 units intramuscularly is prescribed for a 4-year-old child who
has a streptococcal respiratory infection. The medication vial is labeled 1,200,000 units/2 mL.
How many mL should the nurse administer?
(Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

Explanation

Correct Answer (mL) : 0.4

Solution

To find the answer, we can use the following formula:

(mL to be administered) = (units prescribed) / (units per mL)

Substituting the given values, we get:

(mL to be administered) = (240,000) / (1,200,) Simplifying,

we get:

(mL to be administered) = (240,000 x 2) / (1,200,000)

(mL to be administered) = 480,,200,000

(mL to be administered) = 0.4

Therefore, the nurse should administer 0.4 mL of penicillin G procaine to the child.


Question 2:

A 4-year-old is admitted with croup and receives a prescription for a single dose of
dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg IM. The child weighs 35 pounds. How many mg should the
nurse administer? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the
nearest whole number.) Explanation

Correct Answer (mg) : 10




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Solution

To find the answer, we can use the following steps:

- Convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2

- Multiply the weight in kilograms by the dosage in mg/kg

- Round the result to the nearest whole number

Using these steps, we get:

- (weight in kg) = (35) / (2.2) = 15.909

- (dose in mg) = (0.6) x (15.909) = 9.545

- (rounded dose in mg) = 10

Therefore, the nurse should administer 10 mg of dexamethasone to the child.


Question 3:

A patient is receiving a secondary infusion of vancomycin 1,500 mg in 250 mL to be
infused over two hours. The IV administration set delivers 10 gtt/mL. How many gtt/min
should the nurse regulate the infusion? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is
required, round to the nearest whole number.) Explanation

Correct Answer ( gtt\/min) : 21

Solution

To find the answer, we can use the following formula:

(gtt/min) = (mL/hour) x (gtt/mL) / 60

Substituting the given values, we get:

(gtt/min) = () x (10) / 60

Simplifying, we get:




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(gtt/min) = 125 x

(gtt/min) =

(gtt/min) = 20.833

(rounded gtt/min) = 21

Therefore, the nurse should regulate the infusion at 21 gtt/min.


Question 4:

A patient receives a prescription for warfarin 2 mg IM daily. The pharmacy delivers
a vial labeled, warfarin 5 mg/single-use vial. The instructions read, reconstitute with
2.7 mL of sterile water for injection to yield 2 mg/mL. How many mL should the
nurse administer? (Enter the numerical value only.)

Explanation

Correct Answer (mL) : 1 Solution

First, we need to find out how many mg of warfarin are in one vial. Since the vial is labeled
5 mg/single-use, we can assume that it contains 5 mg of warfarin.

Next, we need to find out how many mL of solution are in one vial. Since the
instructions say to reconstitute with 2.7 mL of sterile water for injection to yield 2
mg/mL, we can use the following formula:

Amount of solution= amount of water + amount of warfarin

Substituting the given values, we get:

Amount of solution = 2.7 + 5 =7.7 mL

Now, we need to find out how many mL of solution contain 2 mg of warfarin, which is
the prescribed dose for the patient. We can use the following formula:

mL of solution = mg of warfarin/ concentration of warfarin

Substituting the given values, we get:




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