| Summary: | Abstract There is considerable confusion in parts of the medical community about the differences between osmolarity and tonicity. Many instructional resources, ranging from introductory biology texts to commercial continuing education courses for nurses, confuse osmolarity and tonicity. If health care professionals are to treat fluid balance disorders appropriately, they must understand how intravenous fluid solutions distribute among body compartments and how they may cause transient fluid shifts between compartments on the way to equilibrium. The goal of this resource is to give students a conceptual understanding of the differences between osmolarity and tonicity so that they can make scientifically based decisions about appropriate solutions for intravenous fluid therapy. This is done through the use of an Instructor's Guide and content contained in a Word document. These materials have been used with upper division undergraduate students for more than 10 years. They often report that when they go on to medical school, they are able to teach the concepts to their peers.
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