Do I need to get a Lap Top for school?

[Gen2Nurse]

I have a home computer, that I share with my hubby (who is always on it in the evening when I will be studying). Will I need one to take to school, or is it used often at home for papers? I would love your experience so that I can decide to get one or not. I would hate to get one only to learn that written papers/notes are fine to pass.

[tma0312]

having a laptop does not mean you will be competent in using electronic charting. These are institution specific programs that do not mean you *have* to have a laptop anymore than you need a desktop computer. The OP already has a computer at home but was wondering if she should get a laptop for school.

There are no hospitals in my area that use paper charting anymore, they all use e-charting. In fact, I just finished my computer charting orientation a few days ago, and there is no program that I could have used on any computer prior to my job that would have helped me be able to use electronic charting anymore than a person who survived school with a paper and pencil. Believe it or not, you get experience during your clinicals on using electronic charting using the hospital's computers.

As for having 2-3 different computers available to me at home, I survived sufficiently with the same computer for the past 4 years. If you take care of the one you have with antivirus software and only use approved programs, you won't really have to worry about malfunctions too much. Most institutions of higher learning have tons of computers available in this day and age, so waiting in line and having a time limit is something I haven't seen in years.

Redraven- I think you misunderstood me, I absolutely recommend having a computer, but not necessarily a laptop.

[stelon]

I use my laptop ALL the time. I have one instructor who lectures too quickly to get down all the important info in handwritten notes and there's a number of us who use our laptops for notetaking. The tapping of keys used to bug a little bit, but it stopped bothering me after awhile and then I started bringing mine too. Besides--our classroom is built in such a way that we hear almost constant whistling when there's a breeze outside. That's WAY more annoying.

I have papers due all the time, and if your class is anything like mine, my instructors teach our class with the expectation that all of us will be moving on to RN. We do care plans and assessments all the time and it really has become a necessity for me to have my own computer.