Over the years, nursing has been consistently polled as one of the most-trusted professions in the country.1 That confidence from patients and the public at large does not come by accident. Nurses are trained to comfort, care and show compassion to their patients even in the most trying times.
With such dedication to patient safety and well-being, it’s not surprising that there are several uses for mobile applications. There are plenty of apps out there to help nurses study for exams, stay organized amidst the chaos, keep them in-the-know about medical knowledge and terminology and even help create and establish patient care plans. Nursing apps can help improve efficiency and enhance the experience for the patients.
We surveyed the market and rounded up a list of 12 of the best nursing apps to cover all of your organizational, educational and patient care needs.
12 Useful nursing apps worth checking out
1. Human Anatomy Atlas
The Human Anatomy Atlas app is both beautiful and useful, as it’s packed with thousands of three-dimensional images of human anatomy and structure. This app can be a great addition for anyone learning about human anatomy as built-in quizzes will help you test your knowledge of the bones, muscles and biological systems found in the human body.
2. NCLEX RN Mastery
Nursing students should be well-aware of the importance of passing the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam. The NCLEX RN Mastery app offers a wealth of useful features for keeping up on your studies, including practice questions, mnemonics, terminology and quizzes. Certainly a helpful addition for anyone looking to supplement their study routine.
3. Medscape®
The Medscape app is a versatile addition to any healthcare provider’s device. This app offers a curation of the latest medical news, medical calculators, prescription information and safety resources—an all-around useful collection of features and information at your fingertips.
4. Epocrates®
While perhaps geared more toward physicians, this medical app still packs a punch. One particularly handy feature is the ability to check for potential adverse interactions between medications, herbs and supplements.
5. Pill Identifier by Drugs.com
The unknown and medication don’t mix well. This pill identification app connects you to a database of over 14,000 prescription and over the counter medications. This includes the ability to search by color, shape, imprint and drug name.
6. Google Translate™
Treating a patient can be challenging enough when speaking the same language—and contending with a language barrier certainly doesn’t make things any easier. Fortunately, the Google Translate app can help you break down some of those barriers. While it may not perfectly translate every quirk and nuance found in each language, it can provide a much better base of understanding.
7. Nurse’s Pocket Guide
The Nurse’s Pocket Guide app is a great resource for making nursing diagnoses and developing appropriate patient care plans. With over 440 medical conditions documented, this app allows you to search for key patient symptoms and the conditions commonly associated with them.
8. NurseGrid®
This specific nursing scheduling app can allow you to see your work schedule at more than one job, see your work friend’s calendars and see who you’ll be working with quickly and easily. This will allow you to facilitate trades and make your schedule work for you.
9. Pedi-Stat
The Pedi-Stat app is an excellent addition for any nurse who works with pediatric patients. This app helps with one of the more challenging aspects of working in pediatrics—adjusting the dosages and equipment used to fit the size of the patient.
10. Keener®
While most of the apps featured in this list center on caring for patients, the Keener app is designed with caring for nurses in mind. This app can be an excellent self-care tool, with nursing stories, inspiration and a shift-reflection journaling feature that will help you put daily work stressors in perspective.
11. Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination
This NCLEX prep app has practically everything you could need for NCLEX success. This includes over 6,000 practice questions, quiz creation, test-taking strategies, flash cards and detailed rationales. This app can be a boon for anyone putting in significant NCLEX study time.
12. Picmonic® Nursing
Roy G. Biv. Every good boy deserves fudge. Mnemonic devices like these are a proven way to help recall information. The Picmonic Nursing app provides a wealth of visual mnemonic aides designed to help nurses retain critical information about common nursing subjects like anatomy, biological systems and dosage calculations.
Move forward confidently
No matter what stage you’re in during your nursing career, mobile apps can provide a great way for you to stay on task and keep information at your fingertips. If you’re looking for more helpful resources for nursing students, we’ve got you covered. Our article, “9 Nursing Student Resources to Help Keep You on Track” highlights several great options that go beyond your mobile device.
Of course, learning doesn’t stop for nurses as soon as they’re done with school. It obviously plays a big role in your ability to grow in your career as well. If you’re looking for ways to expand your nursing expertise, check out “Nursing Career Advancement: 8 Ways to Stand Out in Your Scrubs.”
1“Honesty / Ethics in Professions” Gallup [accessed September 2021] https://news.gallup.com/poll/1654/honesty-ethics-professions.aspx
Epocrates is a registered trademark of Epocrates, Inc.
Keener is a registered trademark of HealthStream, Inc.
Medscape is a registered trademark of WebMD LLC.
NurseGrid is a registered trademark of HcT2 Co.
Picmonic is a registered trademark of Picmonic, Inc.
NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
