NU225 Unit 4 Pediatric Dosage Worksheet Example

Reviewed by Elspeth Marlowe, MSN, RN Pediatric Nursing Purdue University Global Free custom sample in 24 to 48h

This NU225 Unit 4 medication dosage worksheet works five composite children through the same five lines: weight in kilograms, the safe range per day and per dose, the order compared with that range, a verdict, and a volume only if the verdict allows. It was prepared for Purdue Global NU 225, Pediatric Nursing, toward the BSN. A nine-month-old weighed at 19 pounds 6 ounces becomes 8.8 kilograms before anything else. A three-year-old's dose is checked with its frequency, a six-year-old's order totals 1,200 mg against a 1,000 mg daily maximum and is held, a thirteen-year-old's weight-based figure is capped by a stated ceiling, and a four-year-old's order is held because it is too small to work.

CourseNU225 Pediatric Nursing
UnitUnit 4
Paper typeMedication dosage worksheet
LengthAbout 680 words, 5 pages double-spaced
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolPurdue University Global
ProgramBSN (prelicensure)
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for NU225 Unit 4

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Safe Range First, Order Second: A Pediatric Medication Dosage Worksheet for Five Composite Children, From a Nine-Month-Old Weighed in Pounds and Ounces to a Thirteen-Year-Old Above a Dose Ceiling, With Two Orders Stopped

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

NU225: Pediatric Nursing

Unit 4 Medication Dosage Worksheet

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The children are composite, and drugs are lettered with exercise ranges printed in each problem; the ranges are practice values, not references for real dosing, which comes from the current drug reference and pharmacy.

What this part is doingEvery problem settles the safe dose before looking at the order, so the order is judged against something rather than simply calculated.
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Method Used in Every Problem

Step 1: weight in kilograms, rounded to one decimal place (1 kg = 2.2 lb; 16 oz = 1 lb). Step 2: safe range per day from the printed mg/kg/day, then per dose by dividing by the number of doses in the ordered frequency. Step 3: compare the order with both the per-dose and the daily range, and with any stated maximum. Step 4: verdict: give, or hold and clarify with the prescriber. Step 5: volume to draw up, only if the verdict is give. Weight-based calculation is one of the steps where prescribing errors in children most often begin, which is why the nurse repeats it independently (Conn et al., 2019).

Problem 1: [Drug A], Nine-Month-Old

Weight: 19 lb 6 oz = 19.375 lb ÷ 2.2 = 8.8 kg. Range: 40 to 50 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours = 352 to 440 mg/day; per dose 176 to 220 mg. Order: 200 mg every 12 hours = 400 mg/day. Inside both ranges. Verdict: give. Volume: 250 mg per 5 mL; 200 ÷ 250 × 5 = 4 mL.

Problem 2: [Drug B], Three-Year-Old

Weight: 31.2 lb ÷ 2.2 = 14.2 kg. Range: 10 to 15 mg/kg/dose every 6 hours, maximum 60 mg/kg/day = 142 to 213 mg per dose; maximum 852 mg/day. Order: 180 mg every 6 hours = 720 mg/day. Per dose inside range; daily total under maximum. Verdict: give. Volume: 160 mg per 5 mL; 180 ÷ 160 × 5 = 5.6 mL. The frequency is checked along with the dose: the same 180 mg every 4 hours would total 1,080 mg a day and exceed the maximum.

What this part is doingThe frequency check shows that a safe single dose can still add up to an unsafe day.
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Problem 3: [Drug C], Six-Year-Old

Weight: 20.0 kg (weighed in kilograms). Range: 15 mg/kg/dose every 8 hours, maximum 1,000 mg/day = 300 mg per dose; maximum 1,000 mg/day. Order: 400 mg every 8 hours = 1,200 mg/day. Verdict: hold. The per-dose amount is above 300 mg, and the daily total of 1,200 mg exceeds the 1,000 mg maximum. Volume: none. The nurse contacts the prescriber with the weight, the calculated range and the ordered amount.

Problem 4: [Drug D], Thirteen-Year-Old

Weight: 136.4 lb ÷ 2.2 = 62.0 kg. Range: 15 mg/kg/dose every 12 hours, not to exceed 500 mg per dose. Weight-based dose = 930 mg; the ceiling caps it at 500 mg. Order: 500 mg every 12 hours. Verdict: give. The ceiling overrides the weight-based figure; an order for 930 mg would have been held. Volume: 500 mg tablet, 1 tablet.

In a large teenager, the weight-based number can be the unsafe one; the ceiling printed beside it is the real limit.

Problem 5: [Drug E], Four-Year-Old

Weight: 35.2 lb ÷ 2.2 = 16.0 kg. Range: 30 to 40 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours = 480 to 640 mg/day; per dose 160 to 213 mg. Order: 100 mg every 8 hours = 300 mg/day. Verdict: hold and clarify. The dose is below the safe range and may not treat the infection; too little is also a finding to report. Volume: none until clarified.

What this part is doingA dose below range is treated as an error to report, not as a safe choice, because an untreated infection carries its own harm.
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Summary of Verdicts

Give: Problems 1, 2 and 4. Hold and clarify: Problem 3 (above the daily maximum) and Problem 5 (below the therapeutic range).

Checks Before Giving Any Dose

Confirm the weight was measured on this admission in kilograms; confirm the concentration on the bottle matches the one used; use an oral syringe marked in milliliters; and have a second nurse verify any high-alert medication per policy (Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 2024; Perry et al., 2022).

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References

Conn, R. L., Kearney, O., Tully, M. P., Shields, M. D., & Dornan, T. (2019). What causes prescribing errors in children? Scoping review. BMJ Open, 9(8), Article e028680. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028680

Institute for Safe Medication Practices. (2024). ISMP list of high-alert medications in acute care settings. Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

Perry, S. E., Hockenberry, M. J., Cashion, K., Alden, K. R., Olshansky, E., & Lowdermilk, D. L. (2022). Maternal child nursing care (7th ed.). Elsevier.

Reading the NU 225 Unit 4 instructions

Unit 4 usually asks students to complete pediatric dosage problems that require converting weight, calculating a safe dose range, comparing it with the prescribed order, deciding whether the dose is safe and calculating the volume to give. Prompts often include liquid concentrations, dose ceilings and divided daily doses. Instructors look for every step shown, correct conversions with sensible rounding, comparison against both per-dose and daily limits and a clear decision before any volume. Many worksheets include at least one unsafe order to see whether the student stops. Drug names may be replaced with letters and ranges printed as exercise values. Work is shown line by line, and any reference to medication safety is cited in APA 7.

How the NU 225 Unit 4 example is put together

The worksheet opens with the five-step method used in every problem, with a source on where pediatric prescribing errors begin. Each of the five problems follows the same order: weight, range, order, verdict and volume. Problem one converts pounds and ounces. Problem two shows a safe dose and notes, in a margin comment, that a different frequency would exceed the daily maximum. Problem three is held for exceeding both limits. Problem four applies a ceiling, with a highlighted line on large teenagers. Problem five is held for being too low, with a margin note on why. A summary of verdicts and a list of checks before giving any dose close the page.

Reading the NU225 Unit 4 grading rubric

Dosage worksheet rubrics in NU 225 commonly award points for accurate weight conversion, correct safe range, comparison with the order, sound verdicts, correct volume and clear work. Conversion points depend on exact pounds-to-kilograms work with proper rounding. Range points reward both per-dose and daily limits. Comparison points go to checking frequency as well as single-dose amount. Verdict points are earned by holding unsafe orders, both above and below range. Volume points require correct use of concentration and are only awarded when the verdict is give. Clarity points reward each step written out so an instructor can find any error. Missing a dose that is too low is penalized as an error, not treated as a safe choice.

NU225 Unit 4 help from the desk

Dosage worksheets often lose points when students calculate a volume before deciding whether the dose is safe. Another frequent error is checking the single dose and ignoring the daily total, so a safe-looking dose given too often passes unnoticed. Some students forget ounces when converting weight, or round too early. Others treat a dose below range as acceptable because it cannot cause an overdose. Convert weight first, calculate both ranges, compare the order with each and with any ceiling, write a verdict and only then calculate volume. When a dose is outside range in either direction, the answer is to hold and clarify. Recheck the concentration on the bottle against the one in the problem.

Get an NU225 Unit 4 example written to your instructions

Copy the Unit 4 problems in as written, together with the conversion factor, rounding rules and any template the course uses. Each is then worked in the same five-line order, range before order, and a dose outside its range is flagged instead of prepared. Free for the first custom sample, with 24-48h turnaround. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

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NU225 Unit 4 questions, answered

Where can I find a free NU225 Unit 4 sample paper?

This page shows the complete NU225 Unit 4 medication dosage worksheet with five composite children, each worked through weight, safe range, order check, verdict and volume, citing three sources. We can talk through problems from your own worksheet.

How do I convert pounds and ounces to kilograms?

Divide the ounces by 16 and add them to the pounds, then divide by 2.2. For 19 pounds 6 ounces, 19.375 divided by 2.2 is 8.8 kilograms.

Why check the daily total as well as the single dose?

A safe single dose given too often can exceed the daily maximum. The frequency must be checked along with the amount.

What does a dose ceiling mean in NU225 Unit 4?

A maximum single dose that applies regardless of weight. In a heavy teenager, the weight-based figure can exceed it, and the ceiling is the safe limit.

Is a dose below the safe range acceptable?

No. A dose that is too low may not treat the condition, so it is held and clarified with the prescriber just like a dose that is too high.