PDA help

Nurses New Nurse

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I have been accepted to a direct entry nursing program. I just found out that a PDA is required for all students. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which to buy? I just recently signed a contract for a new phone, so I am looking for just a PDA. Any info you have would be appreciated. Thanks!

Specializes in PACU, Surgery, Acute Medicine.

If what you just bought was an iPhone, then there's a ton available for you! Or a Blackberry. I don't know about other phones, but there are whole companies dedicated to writing medical software for these phones. I have replaced a backpack that was so full of various text and reference books that I couldn't zip it closed, with just my iPhone. I have a drug guide, an IV drug guide, a clinical companion (for those times when I get a patient with a diagnosis that I've never had before or don't remember well), a lab guide, a medical dictionary, a medical Spanish translator (important in my part of the country), a medical calculator...there may be more that I'm not thinking of, this is what comes to me off the top of my head! It's not free, that's for sure, altogether it was probably $200 or $250 for a year's subscription to all of this. That part sucks, but I figure I save so much time because I have everything at the touch of a hand, it's worth it. Plus the info is up-to-date at all times because of update downloads. Later in my career I may find that I don't need to have all of this material so readily at hand but at this point, I'm very very very glad to have it! The "brand" I use is Skyscape.

I dont have an iPhone, I actually have verison, anddidnt get a blackberry cause I didnt know I was going to need one. I was wondering if anyone had advice fora PDA without a phone

Specializes in ER, ICU, Flight.

There is an entire forum created just for this topic https://allnurses.com/mobile-computing-nursing/

Your basic choices are first do you want a dedicated PDA or a PDA combined with a cell phone

For a stand alone PDA you have your choice between Windows Mobil and Palm operating systems

Despite what actual device you get you still need to buy software.

Since your school is requiring a PDA I would contact them to make sure what every you do buy is compatible with the software they want you to have.

You can get a free up-to-date drug guide from Epocrates.

The most populat software is Skyscape. They have all the basics from Davis Drug Guide to Tabers.

Check out the forum for more details on specific devices and software programs, just about everything out there is covered in the forum.

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