What do you carry in your pockets?

With all the stuff I have to carry around as I work on the floor, I could not live without my PalmPilot TX. I got mine while I was in nursing school after my clinical instructor showed me hers. She also told me about a great program called ePocrates, which incorporates drug guides, calculators and other reference tools, such as lab and diagnostic test information in one package. It sure beats carrying around a med book, notebook and calculator since it's all on your Palm. Cost varies based on subscription length and version of ePocrates (Essentials, Deluxe, etc.) you choose.

ePocrates

Pros:

• It has a history feature that shows you what you've already looked up.
• The look and feel is similar to going through a file and easy to figure out once you sit down and play with it.
• You can also set it up to update daily through your PDA using a home or business wireless connection.
• A free version is available if you are interested in trying it out before you buy it.

Cons:

• This resource is written primarily for physicians, so nursing diagnoses, assessment, and implications are not readily available in this product.

Nursing Central

While ePocrates is a program written primarily for physicians, Nursing Central, is a similar product for your PDA written especially for nurses. I have been using this product for the past month, and I really appreciate the various features.

This suite incorporates Davis' Drug Guide, Taber's Medical Cyclopedia, Medline journal abstract information, as well as disease and lab test information. Cost $150. Discounts are often available if you download the trial version.


Pros:

• The layout uses drop down menus and is also easy to navigate.
• There is a free trial version available if you want to try before you buy.

Cons:

• There is no history feature, so if you have to go back to a med or test later, you have to start all over again.
• Reading some of the charts (if you don't pay attention carefully to the instructions) can be difficult.

There are other nursing programs out there worth investigating. Check out handango.com to see the wide array of products for nurses, such as RN Crash Cart and IV drip calculator.