Hand Held Device Requirement for Clinical

Episteme · Jun 5, 2014

That is very interesting. We do not let our students have any hand-held, any cell-phone/tablet/whatever on our clinical unit since they all come with cameras. Our students know to not photograph anything, but... why put them in a position where they could be accused. Secondly, it looks rude to be using a cell phone or personal device in the view of patients. Again, it puts the student in a position where their actions could be mis-interpreted. When students need to contact us (their instructors) they use a land-line.

Our clinical sites have purchased micromedix and other excellent references for use by their nurses and we are allowed/encouraged to use them as well.

I believe we are headed in the direction of nurses charting and communicating on small devices they could carry in a pocket. I think your generation of nurses will look back on the big cluncky computers we use now and laugh. But we're not there just yet.

Still, this requirement your faculty are making seems premature right now. Especially if hand-held thingers are not typically used by the staff.

tbbtpeach · Jun 5, 2014

That is very interesting. We do not let our students have any hand-held, any cell-phone/tablet/whatever on our clinical unit since they all come with cameras. Our students know to not photograph anything, but... why put them in a position where they could be accused. Secondly, it looks rude to be using a cell phone or personal device in the view of patients. Again, it puts the student in a position where their actions could be mis-interpreted. When students need to contact us (their instructors) they use a land-line.
Our clinical sites have purchased micromedix and other excellent references for use by their nurses and we are allowed/encouraged to use them as well.
I believe we are headed in the direction of nurses charting and communicating on small devices they could carry in a pocket. I think your generation of nurses will look back on the big cluncky computers we use now and laugh. But we're not there just yet.
Still, this requirement your faculty are making seems premature right now. Especially if hand-held thingers are not typically used by the staff.

I get where you're coming from. I think it's also a bit of an inconvenience for those who may not be able to afford the HHD. But, healthcare is changing and I guess they want us to be up to date. I'm not sure about charting..I think it's for ready access for reference books. :) This is a highly competitive University program with high NCLEX pass rates so, I believe they know what they're doing. :)

applejackcrunch · Jun 5, 2014

This is really interesting. I think if you're worried about being able to easily see things on your device, an iphone would be the last choice you should make... well, maybe not the last. But certainly low on the list. An iPad mini would be better, but wouldn't you prefer to have something medium-sized that you're able to keep in your pocket? An almost 8 inch device would be too big for that, I think. I'd suggest looking for a 5.9-7" (on the high end) tablet- or "phablet". If you're looking for something you can use as your phone too, see if your carrier has the HTC one max, Samsung galaxy or galaxy note 2 or 3, Sony xperia... android based and something to adjust to if you're not used to it, but it would be worth it in my opinion if only for the expanded screen space and better applications for the ease of viewing these resources you'll be using. I know apple products are said to be more user friendly than android but it's not that big of a leap, honestly.

tbbtpeach · Jun 5, 2014

This is really interesting. I think if you're worried about being able to easily see things on your device, an iphone would be the last choice you should make... well, maybe not the last. But certainly low on the list. An iPad mini would be better, but wouldn't you prefer to have something medium-sized that you're able to keep in your pocket? An almost 8 inch device would be too big for that, I think. I'd suggest looking for a 5.9-7" (on the high end) tablet- or "phablet". If you're looking for something you can use as your phone too, see if your carrier has the HTC one max, Samsung galaxy or galaxy note 2 or 3, Sony xperia... android based and something to adjust to if you're not used to it, but it would be worth it in my opinion if only for the expanded screen space and better applications for the ease of viewing these resources you'll be using. I know apple products are said to be more user friendly than android but it's not that big of a leap, honestly.

Interesting ideas! Maybe I should go to Best Buy and check some of their stuff out..Sizes, compatibility and such. Thanks for the options. You're right about the ipad mini. I wish it were a bit smaller so I could fit it in my pocket. :)

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Jun 5, 2014

I wonder --- if the program requires you to have these devices, are they going to replace them when they are lost, damaged, stolen, destroyed??? Those 500$ devices add up quick when having to replace one, especially when it's not somewhere you would have normally taken it.

tbbtpeach · Jun 5, 2014

I wonder --- if the program requires you to have these devices, are they going to replace them when they are lost, damaged, stolen, destroyed??? Those 500$ devices add up quick when having to replace one, especially when it's not somewhere you would have normally taken it.

To be honest, I don't know. But, the devices are our personal property and at all times are personal messaging systems to be turned off as well as photo capacity to protect patients. I doubt they would cover the cost of the device if they're having us pay for them now. Just like a textbook....a very expensive one! haha

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Jun 5, 2014

yeah - but when i drop a text book, spill water on it, step on it the text is not ruined.. and i do chose to carry my drug guide to clinical (though all facilities that we have worked in have copies that can be used) it does not cost me 500$ to replace.. :)

tbbtpeach · Jun 5, 2014

yeah - but when i drop a text book, spill water on it, step on it the text is not ruined.. and i do chose to carry my drug guide to clinical (though all facilities that we have worked in have copies that can be used) it does not cost me 500$ to replace.. :)

Yup. I can't really answer that for ya. But, it's the program's requirement so I'll comply. :) We're just learning to adapt to an increasingly technical world. I think it'll be great to have references and texts at my finger tips. But, yes, you're right. These types of technology are delicate, so extra caution has to be used. :)

MrChicagoRN, RN · Jun 5, 2014

You should be able to get a used 1st gen iPad for a hundred or so. I'm using one right now.

Or there are plenty of other cheap tablets. No idea which will support the software you will need.

tbbtpeach · Jun 5, 2014

You should be able to get a used 1st gen iPad for a hundred or so. I'm using one right now.
Or there are plenty of other cheap tablets. No idea which will support the software you will need.

Thanks! It's like..Skyscape? Or something. I don't have to worry about that for a few months! (There's so much to buy!! My poor bank account.)

So you would definitely recommend an iPad?

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 5, 2014

The first thing you're going to want to know is what apps the program wants you to use. That can basically determine the platform you're required to have because some apps are only available on a single platform (apple or android). Then look for the device that meets that need while also being sufficiently large to read it easily and small enough to fit into a pocket. My program required us to wear vests and had an inner pocket. An iPad mini would have worked out well for that. However, we weren't allowed to have personal electronics out in front of patients, though we could use hand held scanners if they were supplied by the hospital and were available for student use. Most of the time those were used only for medication administration and while we could use them to chart, it was much faster to use an actual computer for that.

I agree that in the future, we'll be using tablets (or similar size devices) to do a lot of our charting, but we'll have to ensure that the interface that we use will be intuitive enough that it doesn't slow us down.