How many milliliters per hour should a nurse set for a client receiving 2000 mL of IV fluid to be infused over 12 hours?

To determine the correct rate of infusion in milliliters per hour, you start by calculating the total volume of IV fluid to be infused and the total time over which it will be administered. In this case, the client is receiving 2000 mL of IV fluid over a duration of 12 hours.

The formula to find the infusion rate is:

[ \text{Infusion Rate (mL/h)} = \frac{\text{Total Volume (mL)}}{\text{Total Time (h)}} ]

Substituting the given values into the formula:

[ \text{Infusion Rate} = \frac{2000 , \text{mL}}{12 , \text{h}} ]

When you perform the division:

[ \text{Infusion Rate} = 166.67 , \text{mL/h} ]

When rounding to the nearest whole number, this results in an infusion rate of approximately 167 mL/h. This calculation is essential in nursing practice to ensure that fluid therapy is delivered accurately and efficiently to maintain appropriate hydration and electrolyte balance in patients. Therefore, setting the infusion rate to 167 mL/h is correct and enables the delivery of the prescribed volume within