A nurse is preparing to administer 40 mEq of potassium chloride in 500 mL 0.45% NaCl IV to infuse at 20 mEq/hr via central venous access. The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

Step 1 is to identify the ordered dose per hour and the available concentration in the IV bag Ordered Dose: 20 mEq/hr Available Amount: 40 mEq Available Volume: 500 mL Step 2 is to calculate the concentration of the solution in mEq per mL mEq per mL = Total mEq ÷ Total mL 40 ÷ 500 = 0.08 mEq/mL Step 3 is to calculate the infusion rate in mL per hour mL/hr = Ordered Dose ÷ Concentration 20 ÷ 0.08 = 250 Step 4 is to round to the nearest whole number 250 = 250 Answer: 250