Guess it beats lugging around those heavy books: AASU nursing students trade textbooks for PDAs | SavannahNow.com

Armstrong Atlantic State University nursing students are ditching textbooks in favor of PDAs in a move that can speed up the delivery of the latest medical information and enhance classroom learning.

Since 2006, juniors and seniors in AASU's department of nursing have stopped lugging around three bulky nursing textbooks in favor of a much lighter personal digital assistant. The devices have been loaded with the content of the three textbooks and other medical information. The students can now look up a word, a lab test or information on drugs and drug interactions. Gone by the wayside are medication calculators, also replaced by the PDAs.

About 300 students, or about three-fourths of those enrolled in the nursing program, are using the devices.

Camille Payne, head of the nursing department, pointed out that new drugs and other medical information are coming out every day. The students regularly receive updates on new advances on their PDAs.

"The majority of our students are techno-savvy," said Helen Taggart, professor of nursing. "Many of them were already using PDAs."

Payne added, "In the clinical setting, many nurses will ask to see the students' PDAs. This is affirming to the student."