[*ac*]

I had an IPAQ during school with epocrates on it, but I never felt secure with it. There always seemed to be something more in an actual drug book. Also, I never really got comfortable navigating it - I felt like I was taking too long. I wish I could get comfortable and fast, but I've tried several times and always given up and gone back to the books.

Does anyone thing it's the IPAQ? Would a Palm be easier? Is it epocrates? Would a different software be better?

[Aprilhere]

I used my palm all the time while in school. WELL worth the money. I was working, doing daycare part time from my home, have 3 kids, and school schedule to keep up with.

On my palm...I used the calendar, calculator, drug guide, and skills guide the most. It was quick and useful. It took me a fraction of the time to look up meds as it did my fellow clinical students.

Now though....I haven't touched it in months. I can access my work schedule online, and have online access to drug guides at work. At home...it just seemed repetative anyway since I have to put everything on the calendar for my hubby.

It was still worth the money though. When we're ready...next I want to buy 2 palms...the same model. That way my hubby and I can sync our schedules and always have the info we need with us.

[SurgCNS2008]

I want to thank all of you for this discussion about PDAs. I have been a nurse for 8 years and just bought a Z22 (mainly for the calender). I have taken notes about the programs you enjoyed/recommended.

[slynn61]

Can you tell me about the z22. very newbie with the PDA. Want a stand alone and can get this one cheap. No longer in school but thinking about going back. Have looked at the smart phones. Want to try simple one first. Can I load skyscape? or Davis? and what other ones. Looking to be able to use at work. LTC. Not really an electronic person here.

[nurz2be]

I have a Tungsten PDA...I have to say that it is one of if not the easiest PDA to use. I have tons of Skyscape programs on it... I cannot imagine having one now. It has helped SOOO many times. I even found a program on Skyscape that does drug compatibility! I have about 12 programs from Skyscape on there right now. It doesn't run slow and I haven't had ANY trouble with it. All the programs have a tab so they are easy to find and are very easy to use....

[Indy]

The Z22 is what I bought. Cheap, yes. Utilitarian, yep. You ain't getting a phone and a MP3 player with this baby. My costs: $99 for the pda, $30 for the aluminum case (I'm rough on equipment), $... hm. I wanna say $100 for two years subscription to epocrates, I think that's right.

Anyway. It's got less memory and no expansion card slots. So careful in choosing programs. I have plenty of room for epocrates, abg decoder, and several of the free shareware from palm.com, and a mah jong game. I think if I tried to fit taber's on it, I might have to delete a few things and it would be a tight fit. So no taber's.

I have access to internet at work. So I'm not bothered by the drug entries on epocrates that aren't as expansive and wordy as they could be. Ditto on not having Taber's on the PDA. I got a whole bookshelf plus the computer. The z22 works well, syncs fast, good calendar program already on it, etc. Battery is such that I charge once a week, sometimes less. It gets used every shift. A year into using this baby and I'd buy it all over again.

[muskylounge]

First post on AllNurses.

I bought a Treo 650 about a year ago and it comes with a palm operating system. I recently got rid of the internet function (as I am now a broke college student). I have recently been accepted into nursing school (RN) for Fall 08 and I am really pumped up.

Before I only used Treo to text and browse web and play games. Seems now it can really benefit me next fall. I am not familiar with any of these programs that have been mentioned previously.

Do I buy them or download them onto my PC at home then sync to my Treo? Once sync'ed how most of them work. I am a little computer savvy just new to these types of programs.

Thanks in advance

[crb613]

Originally Posted by nurz2be

I have a Tungsten PDA...I have to say that it is one of if not the easiest PDA to use. I have tons of Skyscape programs on it... I cannot imagine having one now. It has helped SOOO many times. I even found a program on Skyscape that does drug compatibility! I have about 12 programs from Skyscape on there right now. It doesn't run slow and I haven't had ANY trouble with it. All the programs have a tab so they are easy to find and are very easy to use....

I am trying to decide which one to buy & I am so confused! Yours sounds great. I do not care about bluetooth, Internet, etc. I just want one that is easy to use, & has a good size screen with enough memory & speed to hold/access what you need. I had thought about palm tx ......don't want all the extra stuff I will not use. I am computer/pda illiterate so I am open for any suggestions! The focus for my pda will be ER nursing. Thanks

[nurz2be]

Originally Posted by crb613

I am trying to decide which one to buy & I am so confused! Yours sounds great. I do not care about bluetooth, Internet, etc. I just want one that is easy to use, & has a good size screen with enough memory & speed to hold/access what you need. I had thought about palm tx ......don't want all the extra stuff I will not use. I am computer/pda illiterate so I am open for any suggestions! The focus for my pda will be ER nursing. Thanks

Yeah I didn't care for the "bells and whistles" either. Mine is SUPER easy to use, is super fast for looking up info (other students around me spend tons of time flipping around in the reference books....I just hit a button, start typing a word and poof there it is), and it has a large color screen. I bought a 1 Gig memory card in addition to the memory in the PDA. That seems to help too, when you buy programs, at least from Skyscape, you can get the "Card download version" of the programs, that is what I do. Then I can choose to have several cards, multiple programs, and still not have my system bog down. Eventually, after school, I want to be in ER nursing so I have been checking out programs that relate to that, there are quite a few, along with the others that are so SUPER handy.

HERE is the one I bought, this is actually the place I bought mine from as well.

[crb613]

Originally Posted by nurz2be

Yeah I didn't care for the "bells and whistles" either. Mine is SUPER easy to use, is super fast for looking up info (other students around me spend tons of time flipping around in the reference books....I just hit a button, start typing a word and poof there it is), and it has a large color screen. I bought a 1 Gig memory card in addition to the memory in the PDA. That seems to help too, when you buy programs, at least from Skyscape, you can get the "Card download version" of the programs, that is what I do. Then I can choose to have several cards, multiple programs, and still not have my system bog down. Eventually, after school, I want to be in ER nursing so I have been checking out programs that relate to that, there are quite a few, along with the others that are so SUPER handy.

HERE is the one I bought, this is actually the place I bought mine from as well.

Thank you so much! You pretty much did everything but buy it for me! One more question did you go new or refurbished? Thanks again & good luck with school. BTW ER nursing is the way to go!