I'm seriously considering buying a ipod I touch for my career

[Blackheartednurse]

I work in a home health setting and I'm fairly new grad and often find myself in need of backup drug book or other references. My favorite reference book is Manual of Nursing by Lippicott, a huge awsome book. I heard you can download it on your I pod. Also I dont understand why is it unprofessional to use it at front of the patient. I personally would be happy if my nurse would double check some info before presenting to me (even if she did it at front of me). Really that would show me that she actually is accountable and doesnt want to make mistake.Do patient really expect nurses to know all the drugs in the world?? This is crazy at best..especially considering all of those drug combo they have now like diuretics combined with angiotensins (hyzaar) etc... How the heck I suppose to rember the difference between Coozar and Hyzaar? Or distinguish plain lipitor from Caduet.

[itsmejuli]

I just replaced my iPod with an iPhone :) Have lots of nursing apps that I wouldn't be without.

[highlandlass1592, BSN, RN]

I commend you for realizing there is a new resource out there that can really help nursing. I have both a touch and phone and love them both. I have various applications on both. Medscape and Epocrates both offer free drug guides that are usually updated monthly so you are getting more accurate information than in a printed drug guide.

In home health, some assessment programs may benefit you. 5 minute clinical consults are nice, skyscape as someone else mentioned has lots to offer. There are many apps to choose from.

A word of caution: the iPod is wi fi capable which makes it a little limiting. If you don't have a wifi signal, you can't get online away from home. At home, you sync with your computer to update. It's not a huge deal, as many places now offer free wi fi. Just wanted to mention it.

[mehitabela]

I have an iPad and my hospital has free wifi. I use it to look stuff up all the time...I also have used it to entertain my patients on occasion! They love the talking Tom app. I had it sing happy birthday to a lonely female patient and made her day. Can't beat that!

[Dalla]

Okay, I admit, I am not too tech savvy. I bought myself an I-Touch a few weeks ago in order to listen to podcasts and my favorite music. I know nothing about apps to help with nursing. What sort of things are there and how do I find them?

[new_worker]

I bought a smart phone recently just for the reason of having apps for nursing in them for when i need to look something up. Instead of carring those big drug handbooks, now their is an App for that :). I just downloaded an app called Medscape, its really good and its FREE

[pers]

I prefer my droid but agree that smartphones offer great resources! We do have a policy that they can't be used in patient areas or the nurses desk but I work nights so I tend to bend that rule. I don't do it in front of patient's but only because of the rule, not because I don't think it's worth explaining. There are meds we give that aren't always in our medbooks and while the pharmacy is a great resource they rely on the same resources we do for info on new meds! I wish we had internet access on our work computers, even if it was only to medical info sites the hospital approved.

[Chiboy162]

I have a droid also and I love it. Not as many apps as the Iphone, but they have came a long way since last year.

[Heidi the nurse, BSN, RN]

To the OP, I agree, however we know you and I will use it for work purposes however someone always spoils it for others by going on to facebook.

But she works in home health. Of course it depends on the family, but I always brought a book (usually Stephen King) or watched TV. One of my cases let us use the computer - this was before facebook, but I got really good at Collapse and BeSpelled :)

[neuroms]

Do it! Mine is indispensable. Get Medscape, epocrates and pocket lab values and you have an entire reference set in your pocket.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Micromedex is also free. Get it all.

I also make my own reference sheets in graphics software and then export as .pdf - I have an app "PDF Reader" and I can see all my custom sheets!!!

[xt1]

Use a smart phone + amazon kindle app and your can have all the reference you need