[hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The best apps for nursing students help juggle the demands of their busy lives and get ahead in their studies even while on the go. The problem that most students have is cutting through the noise to find the right app that can help streamline their workload.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]We talked with three nurses who shared their personal favorite apps for nursing students. These apps can help students learn, retain information, get peer-to-peer support, and more. Dive in to discover the perfect app to help you through your nursing program.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]The Best Apps for Nursing Students[/hen-ui-heading]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″ class=”py-4 my-0 text-center border-b md:pb-8 md:border-none”]You might be interested in[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-article-row variant=”3-col” ids=”50970,50706,34083″][/hen-ui-article-row]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]1 Med Mnemonics[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Beth Hawkes, full-time nurse and owner of NurseCode.com, works with nursing students to help them pass their exams and find the right job for them. She loves the Med Mnemonics app for the iPhone to help students retain information.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”Not only does this easy and intuitive interface allow customization, but it also lets users create their own list of mnemonic phrases or acronym sets in order to memorize more easily,” she says.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The app has over 1,900 mnemonics using acronyms, rhymes, and memory tricks to learn topics like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and surgery. It has a searchable database you can filter by discipline, and you can create a favorites list or add your own.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] $1.99[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/med-mnemonics/id328711340″]Get the Med Mnemonics App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]2 Medscape[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Mary Buffington, a burnout coach, nurse educator, and nurse entrepreneur, recommends this app for nursing students to stay on top of the latest medical news and expert commentary. The database contains information on all specialties, drugs, and diseases. It also has continuing education activities. Physicians author the disease and condition information and the drug profiles are authored by a doctor of pharmacy.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Free[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://www.medscape.com/public/medscapeapp”]Get the Medscape App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]3 Epocrates[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]This app has been the gold standard of prescription data for many years. It is now owned by athenahealth and has a close relationship with pharmaceutical companies. The upgrades unlock disease information, treatment, alternative medicines, and laboratory and diagnostic information.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Jenna Liphart Rhoads, Ph.D., is a nurse educator with a clinical background in surgical-trauma adult critical care. Epocrates is one of her favorite apps for nursing students because it acts as a pocket reference guide that is not exclusive to nursing.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”Epocrates has a drug reference library, lab reference section, multiple types of medical calculators, and medical diagnoses section. This app is a great ‘all in one’ resource,” she says.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Free with two upgrades of $175 or more[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-flex gap=”xl” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-flex gap=”xs” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Popular Online RN-to-BSN Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ color=”subtext”]Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”belowTheFold” /][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.epocrates.com/”]Get the epocrates App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]4 Nursing Central[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Hawkes calls this one of the best apps for nursing students and registered nurses (RNs). The Nurse Central app combines five resources into one easy-to-use interface. Nurses and nursing students can access a database of over 5,000 drugs, a dictionary with over 75,000 entries, interpretations for hundreds of lab and diagnostic tests, and a review of over 250 medical conditions.[/hen-ui-text][Nursing Central] allows users to quickly jump between resources from different sources such as Davis’s Laboratory Guide which includes information on diseases/disorders along with tests that are available locally too,” Hawkes says.[hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Users can create custom notes, see thousands of full-color images, and access the complete PubMed database from the convenience of their cell phones. The paid version includes updates for one year.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Free preview download with in-app upgrades from $39 to $179[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-grid columns-md=”2″ gap=”md”]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unbound.android.ubnc2l&hl=en_US&gl=US”]Get the Nursing Central App — Google Play[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nursing-central/id300420397″]Get the Nursing Central App — Apple Store[/hen-ui-link]
[/hen-ui-grid][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]5 HearMe[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Buffington also suggests the HearMe app, which anonymously connects you with a trained empathetic listener who is available any time of the day or night. [hen-ui-link href=”/resources//nurse-burnout/”]Nurse burnout[/hen-ui-link] is a challenge for nursing students and nurses who must deal with the stress of a difficult program and challenging work environment.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The emotional wellness app provides peer-to-peer support where nurses can have real-time, text-based conversations with other nurses about their struggles. The average wait time is less than one minute and the average rating is 4.7 out of 5.0.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”Sometimes it’s easier to have real, honest conversations in an anonymous space,” says Buffington. “This platform helps you feel validated.”[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Free download with in-app purchases ranging from $4.99 to $11.99[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://www.hearme.app/”]Get the HearMe App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]6 Headspace[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The app is designed for people to “be kind to their mind.” Liphart Rhoads finds it is an excellent tool for meditation, stress reduction, and relaxation. The app claims its users find more joy in the day and sleep better at night. There are sample sessions on the site so you can try them before you download or buy the program.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”Headspace can be used before or after work, or even during a quick break at work or clinical, to find peace and mental clarity,” says Liphart Rhoads.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]There are programs to teach users breathing exercises, improve self-worth, and guide meditation. There are over 70 million downloads and a star rating of 4.9 out of 5.0.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] First 7-14 days are free; then $69.99 for the year or $12.99 per month[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://www.headspace.com/”]Get the Headspace App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]7 Eponyms App[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]An eponym is a word that originates from the proper name of a person, place, or thing. For example, Addison’s disease is named after Thomas Addison. The app gives you the history behind the names of diseases, fractures, surgical procedures, and more.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The app has not been updated in several years, but the information has not changed. There are 1,800 common and obscure eponyms with full-text search and 26 categories. Hawkes finds it is a good study resource for nursing students.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”It is a boon for nursing students who are already struggling with a large amount of information. It also gives short descriptions and allows easy search by category or popularity,” she says.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Free[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://ossus.github.io/eponyms-app-website/”]Get the Eponyms App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]8 ECG Guide[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Liphart Rhoads believes that understanding and identifying abnormalities on an electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most complex skills a nursing student or RN learns. The app has over 200 examples of common and uncommon ECG readings.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]There are reference sections that address an ECG rate, rhythm, P wave, QRS complex, and ST segments, among others. Nurses learn how to identify ischemia, arrhythmias, heart block, and more.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”The app is a great resource for nursing students, new RNs, and experienced nurses who are learning how to read and interpret ECGs,” she says.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Apple store $.99 and Google Play $3.49[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-grid columns-md=”2″ gap=”md”]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qxmd.ecgguide&hl=en_US&gl=US”]Get the ECG Guide App — Google Play[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ecg-guide/id301027070″]Get the ECG Guide App — Apple Store[/hen-ui-link]
[/hen-ui-grid][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]9 Drugs.com[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The company supports two mobile apps. The medication guide app gives nurses and nursing students an easy way to look up drug interactions, pill identification, and drug information. The pill identifier app is a searchable database of over 14,000 medication images. The app requires an internet connection to see the images.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Pills are searchable by color, shape, imprint, and drug name. Liphart Rhoads recommends the app for nursing students and RNs to find helpful information for patient care. One of the options she values is the ability to check drug interactions to ensure that medications can be given together.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] Medication Guide — Free; Pill Identifier — $0.99[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-link href=”https://www.drugs.com/apps/”]Get the Drugs.com Apps[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]10 NCLEX-RN Mastery[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The app is connected to the study course. Inside the app, nursing students can use a comprehensive mnemonics list, take practice questions, learn terminology, and track progress with detailed statistics. There are several quizzes with explanations.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The company is so sure of the results of the program that they guarantee nursing students will pass the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN) or get double their money back.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Cost:[/hen-ui-text] $35.99 per month[/hen-ui-text]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Meet Our Contributors[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Mary Buffington, MSN, RN, OCN, ONN-CG, CLC” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/image/upload/e_grayscale,c_fill,h_300,w_300,g_face/v1658443911/NurseJournal.org/Headshots/mary-buffington.jpg” img-alt=”Mary Buffington, MSN, RN, OCN, ONN-CG, CLC” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight” class=”text-base”]Mary Buffington is a burnout coach, nurse educator, and nurse entrepreneur. Her background includes oncology, travel nursing, patient navigation, and leadership. In 2019, she founded [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.instagram.com/burnoutward/” target=”_blank”]The Burnout Ward[/hen-ui-link] to provide tools and coaching for nurses experiencing burnout. She is passionate about creating sustainable solutions to decrease healthcare burnout and improve patient outcomes.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Jenna Liphart Rhoads, Ph.D.” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/image/upload/e_grayscale,c_fill,h_300,w_300,g_face/v1658443911/NurseJournal.org/Headshots/jenna-liphart-rhoads.jpg” img-alt=”Jenna Liphart Rhoads, Ph.D.” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight” class=”text-base”][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.nursetogether.com/” target=”_blank”]Jenna Liphart Rhoads[/hen-ui-link] is a nurse educator, freelance author, and editor. Her clinical background includes surgical-trauma adult critical care, interventional radiology procedures, and conscious sedation in adult and pediatric populations. Liphart Rhoads has taught in traditional BSN, RN-BSN, and graduate nursing programs in Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Beth Hawkes, MSN, RN-BC” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/image/upload/e_grayscale,c_fill,h_300,w_300,g_face/v1658443911/NurseJournal.org/Headshots/nurse-beth-hawkes.png” img-alt=”Beth Hawkes, MSN, RN-BC” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight” class=”text-base”]As a speaker and writer, Beth Hawkes helps nurses at every step in their careers through her award-winning blog, [hen-ui-link href=”https://nursecode.com/” target=”_blank”]Nurse Code[/hen-ui-link], freelance writing, and as a career columnist at AllNurses.com. She authored the book “Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job” to give nurses the ultimate insider guide to landing the job of their dreams. She also has extensive experience developing content for organizations such as Lippincott, HealthStream, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and others. She coauthored the Association of Nursing Professional Development’s Certification Preparation book and is an experienced certification review presenter and expert.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex] [hen-ui-link href=”https://nclexmastery.com/nursing/nclex-rn-mastery”]Get the NCLEX-RN Mastery App[/hen-ui-link]
[hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″ class=”py-4 my-0 text-center border-b md:pb-8 md:border-none”]You might be interested in[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-article-row variant=”3-col” ids=”50970,50706,34083″][/hen-ui-article-row]