Advanced IV Therapy & Calculations

This unit builds on foundational nursing calculation and IV skills to focus on complex infusion dosing, weight- and BSA-based titration, reconstitution, and safe IV practice. Students will integrate patient assessment, device selection, complication recognition, and professional responsibilities to prepare for supervised clinical application.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze patient-specific data (weight, body surface area, cardiac output, allergy history) to compute accurate IV dosages, gravity and pump infusion rates, duration-based drip rates, and weight-based titrations for adult and pediatric scenarios
• Apply safe medication preparation and IV administration techniques by selecting appropriate venous access devices, reconstituting drugs correctly, priming lines, avoiding ampoule coring, and adhering to sharps and infection-control protocols
• Demonstrate recognition of and appropriate responses to adverse drug reactions, contraindications, and IV therapy complications by reporting events, documenting findings, and communicating recommendations to the healthcare team
• Evaluate medication orders and planned infusions against the ‘rights’ of medication administration and infant feeding requirements, documenting care and initiating consultation when orders, calculations, or patient factors pose risk