By Melissa Wirkus, associate editor
July 19, 2010 - Traveling to a new city every couple of months is just one of the many perks enjoyed by mobile health care professionals. Luckily, in this era of smart phones and ultra-portable computers, there are plenty of gadgets and electronics available to make life on the road that much easier.
Travelnursing.com sifted through an overwhelming array of the latest high-tech offerings to come up with a list of the most useful, innovative and just plain cool tech gadgets for travel nurses.
Never Get Lost Again
Making the trip from one assignment to the next is one of the best parts of the travel nursing experience, so don’t let your awful sense of direction keep you from making your next road trip into the adventure of a lifetime. Global positioning systems (GPS) are a must-have gadget for travel nurses. Garmin, Magellan and TomTom have multiple GPS systems on the market and systems from these companies have received consistently high ratings from Consumer Reports. Ranging in price from around $75 to several hundred dollars, navigation systems make it easy for travelers to get from one assignment to the next, and to freely explore their new city without the worry of getting lost. Many of the new smart phones also come equipped with GPS systems or allow users to download navigation systems directly to the device.
Pics, Flicks and Hip ‘Photo-Op’ Gadgets
What good would traveling to all sorts of cool places around the country be if you didn’t document your experiences? Fortunately for travel nurses, digital cameras and portable camcorders are now available in price ranges that fit even the tightest budgets. A simple 3- or 4-megapixel camera can be yours for well under $100 these days. And for those looking for something with a few more bells and whistles, several well-known companies have recently introduced cameras that also take video.
Almost all major camera manufacturers now sell models that serve as both cameras and camcorders, and both Canon and Aiptek have hybrid products that take great quality pictures and also record video on the same device. The Flip video camera is also a cool gadget that allows you to easily shoot and share videos, without having to know a thing about taking video.
And for nurses traveling solo, don’t start your next adventure without the “gorrillapod.” This goofy-looking tripod-esque device is perfect for capturing memories when no one is around to snap the photo! Regardless of your preferences for documenting your travels, a good camera or video recorder is an absolute must for every travel nurse.
Compact Computers
Slim, slender and slight can easily describe the newest wave of computers to hit store shelves this year. With the introduction of the highly-anticipated Apple iPad earlier this year, tablet computers have become all the rage. If you are looking for a less pricey model than the iPad, both HP and Lenovo have come out with various models in the “netbook” category. Any laptop that lets you browse the internet and compose e-mail should be considered an essential item on a travel nursing assignment. Not only will you have access to all of your important assignment information, but e-mail and social networking are also great ways to stay in touch with family and friends while on the road.
Movies and Electronic Books to Go
The latest crop of portable DVD players and electronic book readers make it easy to stay up-to-date on your latest books and movies while on the road. Both the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook allow readers to purchase, store and read their favorite novels, magazines and even newspapers right from the hand-held devices. These e-readers are lifesavers during your shift breaks, on long flights or for just lounging around the house.
For the movie buffs out there, portable DVD players are a must-have travel item. Since they have been around for several years, these portable players can be found at a nice price. This article from CNET rounds up the top-rated portable DVD players on the market.
Many laptop computers and netbooks also have the ability to play DVDs, for travelers who want to limit the number of devices they have to carry.
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