A patient receives a prescription for oxytocin 2 milliunits/min intravenously (IV) for labor augmentation. The IV bag contains oxytocin 20 units in lactated Ringer's 1 liter. How many mL/hour should the nurse program the infusion pump to deliver?(Enter numerical value only.)

To find the answer, we can use the following steps: Convert the dosage of oxytocin from milliunits/min to units/hour by multiplying by 60. Calculate the concentration of oxytocin in the IV bag by dividing the amount of oxytocin by the volume of solution. Divide the dosage of oxytocin by the concentration of oxytocin in the IV bag to get the volume to be delivered. Using these steps, we get: (dosage of oxytocin in units/hour) = (2) x (60) = 120 milliunits/hour. (concentration of oxytocin in IV bag) = (20) / (1000) = 0.02 units/mL. (volume to be delivered in mL/hour) = (120 x 10^-3) / (0.02) = 6 mL/hour. Therefore, the nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver 6 mL/hour of oxytocin in lactated Ringer's to the patient.