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Today’s nurses are constantly on the move. They need instant access to timely, accurate, and up-to-date information. In spite of this, it’s not always possible for them to find a medical book or computer to verify or search for something.

With the apps below, though, nurses of every experience level have the ability to boost their productivity and improve their performance. Simply put, these are the best nursing apps that can help turn your smartphone into a mobile portal of healthcare knowledge and information.

1. Eponyms

Eponyms proliferate the medical landscape which can make it difficult to remember them all. Thankfully, with the Eponyms app, you’ll have access to short descriptions of about 1800 of them.

Available for both Android and iOS devices, Eponyms utilizes a shake-to-learn feature. It also allows you to search for any eponym from the common to the obscure.

2. Med Mnemonics

Packed with more than 1,900 rhymes, memory tricks and acronyms, Med Mnemonics is designed to help you recall and retain information. Not only is this iOS-based app easy to use, but it also allows you to customize it.

Edit the mnemonics, delete ones that you already have memorized and add your own. It’s this feature alone that makes Med Mnemonics a standout assistant for the busy nursing professional.

3. Nursing Dictionary

Download the Nursing Dictionary app to your iOS or Android device and easily access over 56,000 medical terms, 9,000 images and 4,000 medication entries at your fingertips. By drawing from authoritative sources such as Gale, Houghton Mifflin, Elsevier and McGraw-Hill, this app enables you to search across multiple disciplines for entries on medical research topics, diseases, treatments, nursing specializations, anatomy and many more.

4. Nursing Central

Nursing Central features five powerhouse apps combined into one of the best nursing apps around. A comprehensive and integrated nursing tool, Nursing Central is available for both Android and iOS devices.

The app includes drug updates for one year, the ability to create custom highlights and notes within an entry, bookmark entries, use Cross Links to quickly jump between resources and more. Access test and disease information from trusted sources thanks to this combination of the following five source apps: Prime PubMed, Taber’s Medical Dictionary, Diseases and Disorders, Davis’s Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests and Davis’s Drug Guide.

5. Nursing Drug Handbook

With the Nursing Drug Handbook app, you’ll gain detailed drug information in a convenient format. Ideal for the experienced nurse, Nursing Drug Handbook is also a great app for nursing students because it emphasizes drug administration safety.

With monographs covering more than 3,500 brand-name and generic medications, this app provides you with accurate dosage information, prescribed and off-label uses and more. Though the app is available for both iOS and Android, it appears it’s due for an update.

6. Merck Manual Professional

The Merck Manual is a staple for many of today’s nurses. With the rate of clinical information doubling every 18 months, according to Merck & Co., it’s more difficult than ever for busy nurses to stay up-to-date. This app, available on Google Play and iTunes, makes doing so much easier.

Access thousands of topics written by over 350 academic physicians, browse through comprehensive illustrations and photos depicting thousands of diseases and disorders, check your knowledge of medical symptoms, treatments and disorders and much more.

7. Medscape

Download Medscape to your Android or iOS device and access more than 400 unique medical calculators that have been grouped by specialty. The app also allows you to browse through 6,200+ reference articles, explore the tailored newsfeed, look up the latest FDA approvals and more.

You’ll also be able to earn free ABIM MOC points and CME/CE credits on the go. The app’s built-in activity tracker monitors your progress to help you stay on track.

8. Pedi Stat

Make the management and treatment of pediatric patients easier and more intuitive with Pedi Stat. As a rapid reference, you’ll gain information regarding cardiac resuscitation, hypoglycemia management, access to pediatric equipment and more. You can download on both Google Play and iTunes.

9. IDdx: Infectious Disease Queries

Designed to make identifying infectious diseases easier and more initiative, IDdx allows you to pick the disease criteria to search. More than 250 diseases are available for searching across 15 categories. Search for diseases by criteria such as symptoms, signs, epidemiology factors, or by name. This medical terminology app is available for both iOS devices and Android.

10. MediBabble

With the world growing ever smaller and more connected, it’s vital for nurses to be able to effectively communicate with patients regardless of their first language. MediBabble is a free app for iPhone and iPad in a history-taking format. It provides accuracy, efficiency and safety while improving the quality of care that is delivered to those patients who don’t speak English.

11. Lab Values Medical Reference

Lab Values Medical Reference is an iTunes top-rated medical reference and lab value app. It combines three medical reference resources in one convenient app: medical prefixes and suffixes, lab reference values and medical abbreviations.

With data that is fully editable, you’ll be able to create your own lab categories, add new lab values and edit existing ones. The simple interface is both robust and easy-to-use. There are hundreds of lab reference values found in 16 different categories, thousands of medical abbreviations and more than 400 prefixes and suffixes.

12. Lippincott Nurse Advisor

The always-expanding collection of thousands of clinical entries are written by nurses for nurses. With a focus on evidence-based results that meet practice standards, you’ll find diagnostic tests, signs and symptoms, treatments, diseases and conditions and more.

A powerful search capability increases the functionality and usefulness of this app. You can also customize it with treatment notes, protocols required by your organization and much more. You can download it through iTunes or Google Play.

13. MDCalc

With MDCalc, you can quickly calculate complex scores with interpretations. You’ll discover dosing calculators, risk scores, formulas, algorithms, classifications and more. In addition to featuring a robust search function, you can also view items by favorites, recently used or specialty. This app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

14. Pill Identifier

Put an end to the confusion that washes over you when a patient hands you a smorgasbord of seemingly-random pills. With the Pill Identifier app from Drugs.com, you can quickly search more than 14,000 medications based on common criteria such as color, drug name, shape and/or imprint. Pill identifier is only available at iTunes.

15. Disease Dictionary

Disease Dictionary is a free app available for both iOS and Android devices. You’ll be able to tap into a medical database that works completely offline without internet. Detailed descriptions of major medical diseases and conditions, prescription drug information and treatment information are all contained in this medical reference book and thesaurus. Download it for both iOS and Android.

16. NurseGrid

NurseGrid was developed by RNs and is available on both Google Play and iTunes. With more than 45,800 ratings on the iTunes Store, this versatile app is rated 4.9 stars out of 5 available.

More than 500,000 nurses use NurseGrid to manage their work schedules by adding their shifts in just seconds, customizing multiple worksites, syncing with their favorite calendar app, managing their credentials and so much more.

17. NCLEX Flashcards

With its affordable cost of just $3.99 and a bank of more than 2,400 premade flashcards, this is one of the best apps for nursing students who are studying for the National Council Licensure Examination. With downloads for both Android and iOS, this app is also a fun and thorough refresher and reference for those who are already nurses.

18. Nurse’s Pocket Guide-Diagnosis

With the Nurse’s Pocket Guide-Diagnosis, you’ll have everything you need to both make accurate diagnoses and develop effective care plans. With downloads for both iOS and Android, this comprehensive app features more than 440 medical conditions with care plan guides. Highlight any entry and make notes, bookmark them for later and use the search feature to find topics quickly.

19. Symptomia

Symptomia is available only at the iTunes Store and allows you to lookup more than 50 symptoms. Once you’ve inputted the symptoms, just two taps take you to a list of possibilities. It’s an ideal way of bridging the communication and understanding gap that sometimes exists between a patient and their healthcare professional.

20. Black’s Medical Dictionary

For more than 100 years, Black’s Medical Dictionary has been a trusted resource. With more than 5,000 definitions, a social media feature so you can easily share information, and a user-friendly and intuitive interface, this app is an invaluable reference. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices.

Not all of the nursing apps listed above are compatible with all devices so check the requirements first. Some apps may require a purchase while others are free. You might need to sign up for some apps before you’re able to access all the features.

Looking for a way to start—or advance—your nursing career? One not covered by an app? At Post University, you can find degrees and classes that set you up for success for a long and healthy nursing career. For example, their online RN to BSN program gives you the flexibility you need to work and take your education to the next level. Additionally, the MSN degree is offered fully online with eight specialization options. Interested? Check it out and give us a call.

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Please note jobs and/or career outcomes highlighted in this blog do not reflect jobs or career outcomes expected from any Post program. To learn more about Post’s program and its outcomes, please fill out a form to speak with an admissions advisor.