When you’re on the road and exploring new places as a travel nurse, you’ll want to have quick access to the best information about your home away from home, plus easy ways to keep track of work-related expenses, and a portable way to access career-related information while on the job. We’ve pulled together a list of some great apps that travel nurses will find useful and that will simplify life on the road.
While traveling
Waze – Waze is a fantastic navigation app that has more than the basic maps programs that come with your phone. Get user-based travel alerts, have your route navigated by celebrities, find out what’s around you and more.
Gas Buddy – Find out the lowest prices for gas nearby and get directions to the station with the best price or the closest one to your current route.
In a new city
Yelp – Check out reviews of local restaurants, businesses, and attractions, get directions, read menus, and find everything you need to locate the best in your new city. Many restaurants or coffee shops offer promos or discounts for “checking in” or writing a review!
Trip Advisor – While most people use Trip Advisor for vacation planning, the hotel, restaurant, and attraction reviews can be invaluable as you’re working as a traveling nurse in a new city.
Around Me – Locate the closest restaurants, hotels, museums, movie theaters, shopping, and more. For traveling nurses, this is a one-stop lifesaver that can help you find what you need.
Tracking expenses
Expensify – Expensify allows you to keep track of expenses and receipts that you will need for turning in your expense reports as a traveling nurse, including receipt scanning.
Shoeboxed – Shoeboxed has a small plan for free, and larger paid plans that are great for traveling nurses who have a lot of paper to store in order to handle their expense reports and tax information.
Mileage Log+ – Mileage Log+ lets traveling nurses track their mileage and create quick and easy, emailable mileage reports for reimbursement.
Staying in contact
WhatsApp – WhatsApp allows users to text, group text, and place phone calls over Wi-Fi just about anywhere in the world. This app is perfect for ongoing chats with family and for those who are traveling overseas to keep in touch with everyone back home.
Skype – Skype has both a text messenger feature, international calling between users, and video chats and conferencing features, great for both personal and professional conversations for travel nurses. While some features are free, Skype Credit must be purchased and used to take advantage of certain international calling options.
Path – Path is an app similar to Facebook, but far more private. Share photos, thoughts, music, and more to the friends and family that you want to stay connected with while you’re traveling.
Nursing-specific apps
Epocrates – Find drug information, clinical practice guidelines, information about medical conditions, and more on this comprehensive app for medical professionals.
Nursing Central – A paid app service, Nursing Central contains drug information, dosage guidelines, medical journal articles, and other invaluable information for the travel nurse.
Omnio – The Omnio app includes clinical, diagnostic, and lab resources, symptom checkers, drug information and more. This is a great at-a-glance guide for the traveling nurse.
These are just a handful of the many fantastic apps that are helpful for people on the go, like travel nurses. What are some of your personal favorites?
