How many recommend purchasing a PDA?

Franksters · Feb 11, 2007

Get one. It's an invaluable tool. Before buying one consult with your IT dept. You may be able to get one that is compatible with programs your hospital has already obtained. Our hospital took orders for PDAs from all nurses. They bought them, charged us $75 and they were ours forever. Along with this came multiple programs to download for free.

Megsd, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2007

I was required to get a PDA for my nursing school and I have found it to be incredibly helpful for looking up medications, medical diagnoses I was unfamiliar with, as well as interpreting abnormal lab values. I use it at least once a day while in clinical, and I also bring it to my regular classes to look up things my instructor discusses in lecture. It has been a valuable asset for me.

PedsNurse322 · Feb 13, 2007

I have one since I started the program in the fall, and have yet to use it...

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 14, 2007

Do not worry about "thinking twice" as the above poster just suggested. Not only do the Registered Nurses in my area carry them because they cannot live without them, the nursing students are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED (per our instructors) to purchase them too!

We had no option. They are required in my program. And I LOVE mine. If they weren't required, I don't think I would have gotten one. And I'd be missing out right about now. Heck, we've had nurses on our floor ask us to look stuff up for them on our PDAs!

How handy to be able to carry FOUR REFERENCE BOOKS (Taber's, Mosby's drug guide, Mosby's lab values, and Mosby's Nursing Dx) and a multipurpose calculator (Archimedes - it has EVERYTHING you could possibly need on it) in your pocket, and literally have all that in your hand in a second or two!?!!!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 14, 2007

It's hard to know what they (you) were discussing, but Palm PDAs are 100% compatible right out of the box with both Windows & Macintosh PCs and they have been for years. Nothing else needed--period.

While I will say I don't have as many freeware programs at my disposal b/c I have a PocketPC, I do know that, based on my classmates' problems, I have fewer compatibility issues b/c I have a PocketPC. They're always talking about some issue or another with their Palms and their PCs. I have enough to worry about, so when I had to get a PDA, I got a PocketPC (my husband also recommended I stay away from Palm based on problems his company had b/f he got fed up and bought a PocketPC himself). Haven't looked back and wouldn't want anything else.

I also didn't have to learn graffiti (my HP 2795 has straight recognition software - I just write as usual) or a sometimes odd filing system (I just use regular Word, Excel, and PowerPoint - my classmates have problems with Docs to Go, or whatever that Palm equivalent is called). I do have to beam our clinical stuff to my CI's Palm as .txt docs, but that's the only "snag" so far.

You couldn't pay me to have a Palm. And experience has taught me "right out of the box" isn't always reliable OR accurate. Like most things, it just "depends" - they're SUPPOSED to work, but they don't always.

But then again, isn't this just a "Mac/PC" preference sort of argument? :)

busog · Dec 12, 2008

iam confused

brandi29 · Dec 15, 2008

Im a nursing student & were required to buy a PDA for out school. We get our tabers dictionary, davis drug guide, diseases & disorders, and some jornals through nursingcentral.com

truthfully if we didnt have to buy them i wouldnt. I never use mine unless im bored in class and look stuff up i would say if you already have the books dont waste the money. But some people love them. Just telling you my opinion