A nurse is administering lorazepam 1 mg PO at bedtime using available 2 mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered?

To determine the number of tablets needed to administer 1 mg of lorazepam using 2 mg tablets, the calculation involves understanding the dosage per tablet and how to reach the desired dose.

Each tablet contains 2 mg of lorazepam. To find out how much of a tablet is needed to achieve a dose of 1 mg, you can use the following calculation:

1 mg (desired dose) ÷ 2 mg (per tablet) = 0.5 tablets.

This calculation indicates that to reach a total of 1 mg, half of a 2 mg tablet is required.

Administering 0.5 tablets ensures that the patient receives the correct dose safely. The other options would either exceed the needed dose or fall short of obtaining 1 mg. Hence, administering 0.5 tablets is the appropriate choice for delivering the correct dosage of lorazepam.