This week, I posted on Twitter an article I saw in the American Nurse Today about “Calculating IV drip rates with confidence”. For an infusion nurse, calculations of drip rates and drug concentration is a given with the nature of my job. I didn’t realize that some nurses don’t calculate rates or don’t even know how. Often, the calculation is left up to the pharmacists and/or the nurses rely solely on the infusion pumps. With the emphasis on patient safety, and as the article stated, I strongly believe, we as  licensed professionals should double check by calculating the rates.

While it is strongly  recommended to use an electronic infusion pump, infusion by gravity drip can be carried out safely depending on the medication/solution to be infused, the age and acuity of the patient, and the healthcare setting. If you are faced with a situation where you need to infuse…