Updated February 19, 2024.
Learn more about Carson-Newman's online family nurse practitioner programs.
The best nursing apps help nurses juggle the demands of today’s busy health care environment. As nurses face more pressure to be up to date on trends and advancements in the field, they’re also working to make sure that their personal lives are in order.
Thankfully, many apps today have been designed for nurses and other medical professionals to help them juggle hectic workloads. Usable across most electronic devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets), these apps can help nurses manage the many facets of academic, professional and personal life.
This blog highlights some of the best nursing apps available on iOS and Android systems and illustrates how these online resources can be helpful when navigating the nursing profession.
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AI Apps for Nurses
Both working nurses and nursing students can benefit from apps that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Below are some top examples.
Ask Paper
Health care providers are often called upon to evaluate lengthy, dense scientific papers. Ask Paper is an app that uses AI technology to provide ready-to-use, easily digestible summaries of the top clinical research, allowing nurses to quickly get up to speed on the latest findings.
Why We Recommend It: This AI-powered app makes it easy for nurses and students to remain clinically knowledgeable and informed.
Speechnotes
For nurses who dictate and document patient medical histories, or symptom lists, Speechnotes is a must. It uses AI to convert speech to text, an incredible time-saver that offers a high level of accuracy.
Why We Recommend It: This app is one of the very best nursing apps for recording patient notes and histories.
General Study Aid
It can be a challenge to keep up with your studies while also logging in long hours as a nurse. School work and test prep require hours of dedication. Carving out focus time in an already busy schedule, though, can be a struggle. That’s where some of the best nursing apps can help.
Below are some of the best nursing apps to keep your notes organized.
Evernote or Microsoft OneNote
Evernote and Microsoft OneNote are two leading note-taking platforms that are among the best nursing apps because they allow you to consolidate your notes on your smartphone or other device. You can highlight terms or passages that are relevant and return them later for quick review. You can also scan handouts and other in-class materials to compile all your materials in one place.
Why We Recommend It: Both apps provide intuitive options for nursing students to remain organized.
AnkiApp or Cram
AnkiApp and Cram make our list of best nursing apps because they’re great for test preparation. With these apps, you can make flash cards, use practice tests to prepare for course exams or brush up on your knowledge on a given topic.
Why We Recommend It: These flash card generators offer quick and easy to expedite nursing studies.
Field-Specific Apps
Some of the best nursing apps are those created specifically to expand knowledge in the field. Whether you use them to learn new material or freshen up on medical concepts, these field-specific apps will help you stay sharp as a nurse.
Below are some of the top options in this category.
Nursing Essentials
Nursing Essentials is an incredibly handy app for student nurses or for those who simply want to review concepts. In addition to the ability to take notes and mark sections for quick reference, this app also includes a calculator for your convenience.
Why We Recommend It: This app is a valuable field guide for nurses in all fields.
Human Anatomy Atlas
Human Anatomy Atlas is a handy guide that’s ideal for those who want to review parts of the human body. With visual graphics and extensive content, this app allows users to quickly search for and discover all the components of anatomy.
Why We Recommend It: It’s not always easy to keep up with the complexities of human anatomy, but this app provides a simple refresher.
FNP Pocket Prep
Pocket Prep’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Exam Prep is one of the best nursing apps, filled with helpful flash cards to streamline study as well as practice exam questions tailored to American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) standards. This app was specifically designed for those preparing for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) exam, which is required for those seeking to become an FNP. Adding to this app’s appeal is that it also features a countdown to test day to fuel your focus on preparation.
Why We Recommend It: This app is invaluable for nurses looking to advance their careers.
On-the-Job References
Even the most seasoned nurse can use a hand sometimes; this is why some of the top nursing apps to keep handy are those that offer quick reference guides for conditions, testing and medications.
Some examples include:
Nursing Central
Nursing Central is a collection of information that covers conditions and drug indications based on your input of symptoms. The results from your query can make for a great springboard as you continue to sort through a patient’s symptoms.
Why We Recommend It: This is one of the most up-to-date and helpful apps for keeping up with medical details and pharmaceutical information.
Diseases Dictionary Medical
One of the most widely used reference guides on mobile, Diseases Dictionary Medical overflows with descriptions of and symptoms related to various diseases and medical disorders. This serves as a one-stop shop for quick reference. It’s also available for free.
Why We Recommend It: This is a critical tool for simple diagnostics.
Epocrates
Epocrates ranks on this best nursing apps list for its depth of content. The app is filled with a wealth of information to help nursing students and professionals manage complex diagnoses and treatment plans. While the app itself is free, gaining full access to its disease and diagnostic features costs more than $100.
Why We Recommend It: While pricier than some of the other apps on our list, this app is worth it for its sheer depth of information.
Unique App Options
There are also several options that cater to specific niches within the nursing field. From identifying unusual prescription medications to gaining quick insights into younger patients, here are a few more to consider.
Pill Identifier
Knowing what kind of medication a patient is taking is vital to understanding their condition and ruling out possible interactions. Some patients may just have a pillbox on hand and not know the names of prescriptions. It’s here where Pill Identifier earns a spot among the best nursing apps. With more than 12,000 medications, you can search for pills using a variety of features including color, shape and imprint.
Why We Recommend It: This is an especially useful tool for nurses who work with geriatric patients or patients who are on a number of medications.
Pedi STAT
For those caring for pediatric patients in emergency settings, Pedi STAT provides a massive amount of resource material, including medication dosage charts subdivided by age and weight. All its content is designed to help nurses and other medical professionals who use it to feel informed regarding these younger patients.
Why We Recommend It: This app can’t be beat for safe and efficient pediatric care.
Translator Tools
Nurses serve as patient advocates and liaisons to other health care staff. When communication is less effective due to language barriers, patient care is impacted. With more than 25 million people in the country not fully proficient in English, nurses need tools to help bridge gaps in communication.
Patients who don’t speak or understand the common language can’t fully express their symptoms and may lose confidence in their health care provider. Thankfully, some of the best nursing apps include ways to help break down language barriers.
MediBabble Translator
MediBabble Translator helps users translate between six languages and English, allowing those who aren’t fluent in English to express themselves and feel understood. Available in Spanish, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian and Haitian Creole, but only for the iOS platform.
Why We Recommend It: This app offers comprehensive language and translation services for nurses.
Time Management Resources
Between work, home and school life, nurses are pressed for time. That’s why we consider time management tools some of the top nursing tools. Below are two options to help you keep the flow and communication smooth at work.
Nursegrid
Among the best nursing apps is Nursegrid, a platform for communicating between nurses on your team. With the capability to message and schedule meetings with colleagues, this app can help you with filling or swapping shifts. It’s also an effective way to stay connected to your team between department meetings when you work in a larger health care facility.
Why We Recommend It: This app is a handy way to manage your schedule.
NurseTasks
NurseTasks earns its place as one of the best nursing apps because it serves as an intuitive platform for nurses to manage their workday. NurseTasks lets you sort and prioritize tasks while also setting personal reminders for when tasks are due. This app will help you prioritize your day and stay on top of your nursing duties.
Why We Recommend It: This app is designed specifically for nurses to increase productivity, track performance and stay organized.
Advance Your Nursing Career
Carson-Newman University’s accredited, online Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) program is designed for today’s working nurses. Carson-Newman also offers an online Post-Master’s FNP Certificate program for MSN-holding nurses who want to take their nursing careers to the next level and enjoy more autonomy as FNPs.
Carson-Newman combines quality and accessibility, offering:
- A robust academic curriculum in a flexible online format
- Stress-free clinical site placements
- Hands-on nursing residency offering real-world preparation
- Ongoing support provided by dedicated faculty and staff
- Small class sizes to offer more personalized attention
