For a prescription of thyroxine 0.05 mg when it is available in 25 mcg tablets, how many tablets does the nurse need to give?

To determine the correct number of tablets needed to administer a prescription of thyroxine 0.05 mg, it's important to convert the dosages to the same unit of measurement.

First, converting 0.05 mg to micrograms (mcg) is necessary because the available tablets are measured in mcg. There are 1000 micrograms in 1 milligram, so:

0.05 mg is equivalent to:

0.05 mg x 1000 mcg/mg = 50 mcg.

Next, since the tablets available are 25 mcg each, you can calculate how many tablets are needed to reach the required 50 mcg dosage:

50 mcg ÷ 25 mcg/tablet = 2 tablets.

The correct way to interpret the question is that the prescription calls for 50 mcg of thyroxine, which can indeed be supplied by giving 2 tablets of the 25 mcg strength. Therefore, stating that 0 tablets would be inappropriate since a specific dosage is actually required and can be met by administering 2 tablets.