Ball State students required to use IPod, IPhone

[cougarnurse]

What the.....! As if we don't have enough bills! Anyone else 'required' to have this stuff?
Ball State Daily News - Nursing students required to use iPod Touch, iPhone

A new standard for Ball State University students in the School of Nursing requires students to buy new technology for clinical components.

The School of Nursing made the purchase of an iPod Touch or an iPhone mandatory this past fall after using Windows-based smartphones in the past, Brandon Campbell, lead technology services specialist for the School of Nursing, said.

Campbell said the trend of using mobile devices in the medical field is growing and it’s not the first time smartphones have been introduced into the program.

“As technology changed, we were forced to go with a smartphone,” he said. “Although [Windows-based smartphones] worked well, the iPhones are more user friendly.”

The devices enable students to download medical dictionaries and medication information to carry around for lectures and clinical components, Kay Hodson-Carlton, director of the Simulation of Information Technology Center for the School of Nursing, said.

Hodson-Carlton said it made sense to require students to purchase an iPhone or an iPod Touch because the price of the devices plus the software was the equivalent, if not less, than the cost of required textbooks.

The iPod and iPhone applications also have free updates, which will keep all of the medical information current, versus the students having to buy new textbooks every year, Campbell said.

Although eliminating textbooks is the main purpose of the requirement, Campbell said the switch has additional benefits. It allows students to take tests and quizzes on their iPhone or iPod instead of having to buy an iClicker.

Hodson-Carlton said the technology has already started to benefit students. She said several nurses asked to borrow one graduate student’s iPhone because of a medical application she had downloaded.

“Our students are becoming leaders in technology use at their agencies,” she said.

Although students may not necessarily use the iPod or iPhone in the workplace after graduation, Campbell said medical facilities often have their own wireless or handheld device that works in their system.

Junior nursing major Haley Hendrix said she thinks the requirement is beneficial to students, but the technology does add some problems that students wouldn’t experience with traditional textbooks.

She said one problem with using the iPod Touch instead of textbooks is the requirement of wireless Internet in order to get work done. Since she doesn’t have Wi-Fi at her apartment and AT&T was already her cell phone provider, Hendrix said she opted to get the iPhone.

“[With the iPod Touch] if the Internet server went down or if you don’t have wireless Internet, you won’t have access to the textbook,” she said. “I live off campus and I don’t get Wi-Fi, so I would have to drive back to campus if I had the iPod.”

Hendrix said another downfall of the requirement is students will more likely be able to get away with pulling out the electronics to play games during class.

Hendrix said despite the possible issues, she’d rather use the new technology instead of having multiple textbooks.

“I already have to carry a textbook and another workbook so it would be a hassle,” she said. “I lose things constantly, but I always remember my phone so I automatically have everything I need.”

[suebird3]

Geez, ya think students don't have enough expenses?

[Marie_LPN]

What average college student has the money for that crap??

[cougarnurse]

I agree! And taken directly from article:

“[With the iPod Touch] if the Internet server went down or if you don’t have wireless Internet, you won’t have access to the textbook,” she said. “I live off campus and I don’t get Wi-Fi, so I would have to drive back to campus if I had the iPod.”

Hendrix said another downfall of the requirement is students will more likely be able to get away with pulling out the electronics to play games during class.

:nurse-quotes:

And older, mature students have mortgages/homes/kids/other bills...... Phones are for TALKING!

[badphish]

As a 47 yr old just graduated nurse I say maybe they should use the ipad, im on my 3rd iphone (4.0) which is jammed packed with medical apps, but i cant see reading my textbooks on it. And i would have rather bought an ipad and the required digital text than luggin those books everywhere for a year. Nursing School/College is expensive, thats a given. I'm just hoping they didnt pay efollet prices for their digital textbooks, plus getting to pull out your iphone during clinicals would have been cool, as i had tons of reference material on it

[cougarnurse]

I'll keep the books. I ain't into paying mega-amounts on the phone bill every month.