One teaspoon contains ............. ml ?

Appeared in: NCL (MP) Nursing Officer - 2020

Explanation

The standard medical and pharmaceutical conversion for one teaspoon (tsp) is 5 milliliters (mL).
This conversion is fundamental for calculating and administering liquid medication dosages accurately.
Healthcare providers use this standard to ensure consistency and safety in prescribing and patient education.

Option A: 2 mL is less than half of a standard teaspoon. Using this measurement would result in significant under-dosing of a prescribed medication.
Option C: 10 mL is equivalent to two standard teaspoons (2 tsp).
Option D: 15 mL is the standard equivalent for one tablespoon (tbsp), not one teaspoon.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Measurement Conversion (Household to Metric) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Patient safety is the primary reason this conversion is critical. An incorrect dose, especially for potent medications like antibiotics or pain relievers, can lead to treatment failure or toxicity.
Nurses have a vital role in educating patients and caregivers to use proper measuring devices (oral syringes, calibrated spoons) instead of household silverware, which varies greatly in size.
What if? If a patient is instructed to take 'one teaspoon' but uses a large soup spoon from their kitchen, they might ingest 10-15 mL instead of 5 mL, potentially tripling the intended dose and increasing the risk of adverse effects.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core of the question: it asks for a direct conversion between a household unit (teaspoon) and a metric unit (milliliter).
This is a factual recall question. Access your knowledge of standard medical measurement equivalents.
Recall the key conversion: 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 mL.
Evaluate the given options to find the one that matches this standard conversion.
Also, recall related conversions to rule out distractors, such as 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 mL.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q5z3U8IW7icR-kRCPDB5Rh

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 3 p. 140-142

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor pp. 848-850, 1059-1061

Practise the full NCL (MP) Nursing Officer - 2020

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.