New PN student @ Gateway - do I need an Itouch/droid/smartphone?

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I noticed the technology postings, and some(most) of the other students I've met have smartphones - I found that out the hard way when the cna instructor divvied up clinicals by who sent the first email... kinda-hard to do with my "granpa" phone. :mad:

Anyway - here's my question - are phones allowed @ clinicals @ Gateway? Is there a real benefit to getting one? Looks like some nursing programs REQUIRE a PDA, and others don't want you to have one, and we haven't been given any info as of yet that said one way or the other.

I'm mostly concerned about care plans - being able to knock them out quickly and accurately without staying up all night, hopefully during those short breaks during clinicals.

From what I've been able to decipher on the tech forums, even an 8 gig Itouch should help, if I loaded the drug guide, epocrates and medCalc. I'm reluctant to take on a $50/mo data plan if I've gotta leave the Iphone/droid in the car, or if we're not allowed to use it during clinicals... also a little bit wary of carrying around a $600 phone, since I've never had a phone last more than a year in my pocket... I'm thinking a used

Any thoughts from current/former Gateway students?

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I noticed the technology postings, and some(most) of the other students I've met have smartphones - I found that out the hard way when the cna instructor divvied up clinicals by who sent the first email... kinda-hard to do with my "granpa" phone. :mad:

Anyway - here's my question - are phones allowed @ clinicals @ Gateway? Is there a real benefit to getting one? Looks like some nursing programs REQUIRE a PDA, and others don't want you to have one, and we haven't been given any info as of yet that said one way or the other.

I'm mostly concerned about care plans - being able to knock them out quickly and accurately without staying up all night, hopefully during those short breaks during clinicals.

From what I've been able to decipher on the tech forums, even an 8 gig Itouch should help, if I loaded the drug guide, epocrates and medCalc. I'm reluctant to take on a $50/mo data plan if I've gotta leave the Iphone/droid in the car, or if we're not allowed to use it during clinicals... also a little bit wary of carrying around a $600 phone, since I've never had a phone last more than a year in my pocket... I'm thinking a used

Any thoughts from current/former Gateway students?

Hi, I am just finishing up block 2 of the PN program. We were not allowed to carry cell phones at clinical sites during block I. The LTC facilities we were at strictly forbid it. We did carry them at the hospital, and I looked into getting programs, etc, but honestly never had need of them. I do have a blackberry and did look a few things up on the internet, but used it mainly to communicate with other students & instructor to coordinate lunch, procedures, etc. If I needed instructor up on my floor for a procedure, I would text her. The best purchase I made was a netbook (dell mini) that I could take to the hospital when picking patients. I was able to get 85% of my careplan done and then would just finish up nursing diagnoses, drugs when I got home. Best investment I ever made. Didn't have to lug my full size laptop around. And it was WAY cheaper than $600. Just my :twocents:. Good luck!

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Thanks - for taking the time to respond with good info!

I guess I'll just buy an extra battery for my laptop & use that to get the outline for my care plans set up.

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