temic changes may be caused by the parenteral introduction of water and solutes, yet there are no established criteria for professional nursing practice related to I.V. fluid therapy. This has permitted the development of a number of nursing practices which may be unsafe. It is a common medical practice to order intravenous fluids to cover a patient for 24 hours. Once the order is written, it is a common nursing practice to divide the total amount of fluid ordered into three eight-hour periods so that the patient receives an equal amount of solution every eight hours. The job of each nursing shift is to infuse the same amount of fluid into the patient. In a sense, this breakdown determines the flow-rate of the fluid, but the criteria used in establishing this routine appear to be personnel-oriented rather than patient oriented. Nursing procedure books