pda use in nursing

RNCENCCRNNREMTP · Dec 11, 2004

Most reports on the new T5 are not very good. Crashes, hard resets and a memory issue that makes you think you are getting a lot but really you are not. The way it was explained to be is the memory on the T5 is divided into 512 byte chunks so if an application needed less than 512 bytes (which is a lot of the supporting components to many applications) then it would still use up 512 bytes and the memory gets eaten up very quickly. Same on the new Treo 650.

I have the Tungsten C with a 128mb expansion ca5rd with the following applications that really help in the ED and on ACNP clinicals:

ACNP Category

ICD-9 and CPT Codes

Yesterday (keeps track of assignments and grades for my grad courses)

Calculator Category

ABG Pro

Appraising and Applying Evidence

C-Spine Rules

HaemOnc Rules

ICU Math

MedCalc

MedRules

Mini Mental Status Exam

Pregnancy Wheel

Cardiology Category

5 Minute Cardiology Consult

A-Fib Stroke Risk Calculaotr

ACC Guidelines and Clinical Trials Database

CardioMath Calculator

TIMI Risk Calculator

Communication Category

Cloak (secure password keeper)

Documents To Go (carry my PowerPoint presentations to practice)

JFile 5

Wordsmith (converts Word docs to Palm readable file, have created over 500

memos regarding emergency medicine tips and hospital policies)

Drugs Category

Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide

BioChem Disaster management

Davis Drug Guide with Integrated Calculator

Epocrates (Rx, Dx, ID, Lab, Tables and more)

Infusicalc

Medical Category

Code Blue

COPD Gold

DxSaurus

Emergency Airway management

ER Suite 5.0

HandBase (allows me to create data collection tools)

iSilo (reader program, convert medical web pages to palm readable format, have about 200 medical based references here)

Midnight Medicine

Unbound Surgery

Ortho Category

Bones

Handbook of Fractures

Pediatrics Category

5 Minute Pediatric Consult

CQ peds

Growth Charts

Harriet lane

Hyperbili

Riley Kidomeeter

Shots 2004

Tarascon Pediatric Emergency Pocketbook

Radiology Category

Pocket Radiologist

Medical Imaging Guidebook

Reference Category

2005 Currents

Clinical Evidence

Eponyms

Geriatrics

Guides to Lab and Diagnostic tests

Merck Journal Scan (weekly and monthly updates from up to 200+ medical/nursing journals)

Tabers

aruray · Dec 11, 2004

wow thats an extensive list. does it take a long time for the apps to load, considering most of the apps are loaded in the card? i have isilo in my palm and it takes forever to read the memory card. it would be nice to have all these information handy but i usually lose my patience b4 the app gets loaded. =P

starae · Dec 11, 2004

I love my PDA and can not imagine working a day without it! I have not been happy with most of the free programs and have just sucked it up and paid for some. I use Davis Drug Guide, Tabers Medical Dictionary, and 5 Min Clinical Consult. The 5 Min Clinical Consult is especially nice if you need to look up some rare disease you've never heard of or float to an area that you are not familiar with. It will give a good description of diseases, treatment, medications, labs, etc. I do not go a single shift without refering to it at least once (especially for drugs) and love having piles of textbooks in my pocket. Sometimes get strange looks when I pull it out, but it saves me time searching through outdated and sometimes hard to find references.

RNCENCCRNNREMTP · Dec 12, 2004

wow thats an extensive list. does it take a long time for the apps to load, considering most of the apps are loaded in the card? i have isilo in my palm and it takes forever to read the memory card. it would be nice to have all these information handy but i usually lose my patience b4 the app gets loaded. =P

I have a Palm Tungsten C which has a very fast processor. My largest iSilo file (Clinical Medicine Consult - 8MB) takes about 1.5 seconds to load from the card. MY largest non-iSilo apps take usually less time to load from the card.