Technology Advice for Nursing School

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2013

Mac all the way for me, as you can tell by the avatar. I've been doing Mac products for thirty years. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't work with Word or PowerPoint or Excel-- the Mac Pages/Keynote/Numbers software package (less than $90, too) opens and works with all of them, and does it better. You will want a keyboard in any case, so I'd suggest you check out this year's MacBook Air, a sweet little baby with lots of power, the ability to upgrade it (I maxed it out with 500 gigs) and so light you won't notice you're carrying it. AND it's cheaper than it was last year. I strongly suggest you go to the apple website (Apple) and check out the 2-minute tutorials on Pages/Numbers/Keynote, and if you're near one, go to an Apple Store or dealer where they have Mac geeks to help you play with them. Also go to the iTunes store and look around in the Apps Store. You'll be impressed.

I also have an iPad, which I love, and it does an awful lot, including using a Bluetooth folding keyboard. Its native Pages/Keynote/Numbers versions are not quite as fully-featured as the regular computer versions, so I don't use it for those as much, but I have many useful apps and carry a lot of cool stuff on it and it's fun for drawing and great for using note-taking apps.

Let the debate begin! :)

nlynrob · Oct 1, 2013

Last year, my first year of nursing classes after pre-reqs, I was using a PC. I eventually stopped bringing it to campus because it was heavy and I needed to bring the bulky power cord everywhere because it only lasted about an hour. I tried bringing an iPad but it just wasn't enough for me; a laptop does more. This summer I bought a MacBook Air and I am in love with it. I use it throughout all my classes and usually at night studying or writing papers or care plans and I charge it maybe once every three days. It's kind of funny when halfway through a three hour lecture everyone with a PC is moving their desk closer to an outlet and everyone with a Mac stays put.

It cut down the weight I was lugging around so much- I didn't bother buying notebooks, binders anything because I can do everything with apps. Pages is about 1000x better than windows and you can convert anything to a word document to send to a PC user in two clicks. It's also a lot easier to write papers in APA format in pages, less work.

Especially if you have an iphone Apple is the way to go. Anything I put in my laptop calendar my phone reminds me about; everything is linked and it makes my life so much easier :)

nursinghopeful2013 · Oct 1, 2013

Depends on your school software i bought an ipad mini to use for nursing school not knowing i could never listen to recored lectures on it. Wish i would have chosen differently

zoe92 · Oct 1, 2013

I have an older laptop I use for papers & such but I love my iPad. For certain classes I do not even print out my lecture powerpoints. Instead, I download them onto my notability app and take notes directly onto them that way. Quite a few students in my classes have been showing up with iPads now too.

Jenngirl34RN · Oct 2, 2013

I would say a laptop for sure, as that way you can take it to the library or your study group if you need to. I am a Mac girl, but what ever your personal preference is would be fine. I do recommend a tablet of some sort. Again, I am a Mac girl so I use an iPad, but get what ever works for you. They come in VERY handy because lugging a laptop around everyday gets really old when you are also lugging around a ton of textbooks and whatever you are required to bring to lab. It can also save you from having to print out every power point or lecture module you need for class. We are also encouraged to record lab demonstrations in my program, so the iPad is a handy way to do that.

Dranger · Oct 2, 2013

Small netbook works well for the power points or ebooks and its lighter than 99% of laptops.

Everline · Oct 3, 2013

I have a MacBook pro and a kindle. My MacBook stays home and my kindle travels with me. I absolutely love them both. I prefer Mac (I have an iPhone and Apple tv, etc.) The Kindle was a gift. I never imagined how much I would I would use it. I have my textbooks on it and can do many school related things on it when I am on the go, especially with my Bluetooth keyboard. Tablets are very handy. Though if I had to choose one, I would choose my MacBook, without hesitation. Like others have said, check out the MacBook Air.

crossfitnurse · Oct 3, 2013

MacBook Air all the way!! Don't let people talk you into "cheap" laptops. They will fail you when you need it most. Spend the money now on a Mac and if will last you well past your college career!!!!!

krisiepoo · Oct 3, 2013

you won't need any more technology than you do during your pre-reqs

Stephalump · Oct 3, 2013

I have an iPad and an HP laptop. Laptop only comes to school with me on the rare occasions that I'm going to be doing serious work at the school (writing a paper in the library, for example). I also need it for a lot of homework assignments that are on flash websites.

The rest of the time it's my iPad and I :)

I have a Bluetooth keyboard for it, but I never use it; I just don't find the iPad functional enough to use it for typing-heavy things

Momofzra · Oct 3, 2013

Depends on your school software i bought an ipad mini to use for nursing school not knowing i could never listen to recored lectures on it. Wish i would have chosen differently

I have an IPad mini also and there is an app called Notability that will allow you to record lectures and take notes. I would highly recommend it! :)