A nurse is preparing to administer potassium chloride 30 mEq PO every 12 hr. Available are potassium chloride 10 mEq sustained-release tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

Given: Prescribed dose: 30 mEq of potassium chloride per dose Available tablets: 10 mEq tablets Steps to solve: Determine the number of tablets per dose: Find how many 10 mEq tablets are needed to make 30 mEq of potassium chloride. Set up a proportion to solve for the unknown number of tablets (X): 10 mEq/tablet = 30 mEq/X tablets Cross-multiplying gives us: 10 mEq x X tablets = 30 mEq x 1 tablet Simplifying: 10X = 30 Solving for X: X = 30 / 10 = 3 tablets