Being a professional nurse is one of the most demanding jobs in the world. They are always on the roll, looking after the patients, and monitoring their health status round the clock. Sometimes they are also required to take split decisions during an emergency. In these crucial moments, the smartphone can be of major help when need be. The demand for comprehensive medical apps in the health and nursing industry has increased so that the nurses and medical practitioners get all the help required to perform their job to the best of their abilities. Let us have a look at the top 8 apps made for the nurses on the iOS and Android app stores.
One of the leading and popular medical sources, the Medscape app is extensively used by nurses, medical students, and other professionals engaged in the medical and health industry. The app allows the user to search and get information on almost any ailment, disease, medical procedure, and condition by accessing more than 4,000 articles written by leading medical experts and physicians. Apart from this, the app also contains step-by-step videos of more than 600 medical procedures and 100 tables and protocols.
Medscape is also an excellent source of day-to-day medical news. Nurses can get daily news on 34 medical specialties and can access the MEDLINE databases for additional information. Furthermore, the app allows them to search the Medscape News for relevant articles, which can be saved for offline reading.
The pill identifier feature often comes as a supplementary add-on on most medical apps on app stores. However, the pill identification is the primary feature in Pill Identifier and Drug List – Patient Care Edition on Google Play store and Apple’s iTunes store. While the app provides detailed information, it must be strictly used for educational purposes only and must not be put to practical use without the consultation of a clinician.
The Pill Identifier and Drug List – Patient Care Edition app can detect a pill by its name or brand and will present to the user details such as the composition of the pill, drug warnings, manufacturer’s name, and dosage details according to age. The app also features a BMI calculator and drug index for reference purposes for nurses and medical students.
WebMD for Android comes with smartphone optimized tools for decision support and health information to assist the nurses to do their job better. Nurses can access the app’s extensive database for information on supplements, vitamins, and drugs along with data on the former’s side effects, dosage, and warnings. If a patient is already taking a pill, the supplementary pill identifier feature of WebMD for Android can also help a nurse identify the medication by its shape, imprint, and color.
The Nursing Central serves as an all-in-one medical reference app by allowing the user to access more than 17 million medical journal articles and 60,000 medical dictionary terms. The app’s information database is constantly updated and is extremely detailed, which has made Nursing Central a favorite among professional nurses and nursing students.
Omnio is popular for its inclusiveness. The app includes drug information, medical calculator, access to medical articles and journals, and many more additional features. So the nurses will not have to download and install a ton of apps to access different features during the time of need. The reference category of the app comes with detailed and comprehensive pill identification guides, drug guides, latest information on pill formulas, and medication dosage calculators.
While these medical and pill identifier apps are of mighty help during emergencies, the information gathered from these apps must be used only for educational purposes. In case a nurse wishes to put them to practical use, it is recommended to consult a doctor prior to it. No matter how detailed the information is these apps must never be considered as an alternative to doctor’s consultation.