Nurses! We know that your shifts are packed with patient care, charting, and chaos. It is hard to manage shifts and stay up to date on medical knowledge. Imagine if your phone becomes your personal assistant and helps you stay organized and informed. Yes, it is possible with these top 10 essential apps that every nurse and travel nurse should download in 2025.
Top 10 essential apps for nurses and travel nurses
In 2025, smartphones will be more than just a communication tool for nurses. In this blog, we will give you the top 10 essential apps that nurses should download to simplify their lives and boost productivity so they can focus on patient care.
Medscape
Medscape is an app that provides beneficial information to nurses. This app is accessible via both mobile and desktop, and its user-friendly design helps nurses to stay up to date with the latest medical knowledge. Some of the key features of the Medscape app are:
- It gives drug information, including over-the-counter medication, herbals, and supplements.
- Identify the pill by its physical characteristics.
- Offer free continuing education courses for nurses to maintain their license.
- It also includes medical tools such as BMI calculators, IV drip calculators, etc.
- Accessible via both mobile and desktop, and a user-friendly design for easy use.
Epocrates
This software is designed for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals to access clinical information at the point of care. The key features of the Epocrates app are:
- Provides drug information to the healthcare providers.
- It is also a pill identifier that instantly identifies a pill by its physical appearance, such as color, shape, etc.
- After subscription, you can access infectious disease treatments, disease information, alternative medications, etc.
- It is available on both Android and iOS platforms.
NurseGrid
This app helps nurses manage their schedules, and it is considered as number 1 scheduling app for nurses. The key features of this app are:
- Easily view and manage with color-coded shifts.
- Help nurses coordinate and swap shifts with their colleagues.
- Personal calendar integration.
- Explore new jobs and career opportunities with this app.
- Available on both iOS and Android platforms.
Nursing Central
A mobile and web-based resource that is designed for nurses and nursing students and offers detailed information on medications, conditions, and procedures. The key features of the nursing central app are as follows:
- Provides comprehensive drug information.
- Interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests to understand patient results.
- It is a medical dictionary providing clear definitions and pronunciations.
- Provide clinical calculators such as IV drip rates, BMI, etc.
- It helps nursing students in studying, such as creating custom notes and highlights.
- Both iOS and Android users can download this app.
CamScanner
This app transforms a nurse’s smartphone into a powerful document scanner, which is ideal for travel nurses. The key features of the CamScanner app are:
- Quickly scan and convert handwritten notes or prescriptions into high-quality PDFs or images.
- Organize your credentials with this app, such as licenses, certifications, training records, etc.
- You can share scanned documents via email or messaging apps.
- Easily track and manage documentation through this app.
- Available for both Android and iOS devices.
Waze
Waze is a free navigation app that gives real-time data and provides the best route planning. This app is ideal for travel nurses because travel nurses are new city every few months and they need a navigation system to help them get to their destination. Key features of the Waze app are:
- It gives real-time traffic updates, such as accidents or any blockage on roads.
- It gives you the fastest route to reach your destination by constantly adjusting the best route for you.
- It makes you stay informed about your speed limits, which is very helpful for travel nurses in new cities.
- This app is available on both Android and iOS devices.
Airbnb
This app helps travel nurses find temporary housing during their contract. The key features of the Airbnb App are:
- Hosts can list the place, such as a spare room, apartment, or even a house.
- This platform works in thousands of cities around the US, so it is easy for travel nurses to find temporary placement anywhere.
- This app offers a wide selection of housing.
- With the Airbnb app, travel nurses can find places where they can get home-like amenities if they are working for a few weeks to months.
- It also offers flexible booking options.
MDCalc
- This app helps nurses to enhance their clinical decision-making at the point of care.
- Access to more than 900 calculators.
- Evidence-based content.
- Nurses can use the app even without an internet connection.
- Available on both platforms, iOS and Android.
- Free of cost.
VectorCare Trust
This platform is designed for nurses to streamline the tracking and sharing of licenses, certifications, and other important documents.
- Easily upload and save all important documents.
- Set multiple reminders for each credential to give you expiration alerts.
- It offers visual tracking.
- Easy sharing of your credentials with employers.
- This app is free for healthcare professionals to use and is available on both iOS and Android.
SkillGigs
Another one of the most essential and top apps for travel nurses in 2025 is SkillGigs, which allows travel nurses to bid on travel nursing jobs. It is an AI-powered talent marketplace that allows travel nurses to take control of their careers. The top key features of SkillGigs are:
- Travel nurses can find jobs that match their preferences and skills.
- It matches the nurses to suitable travel nursing contracts.
- Nurses can make their 3D resume, making their resume visually attractive for employers.
- SkillGigs also provides dedicated support to the nurses, answering their questions and concerns.
- SkillGigs app is free to download and is available on both iOS and Android devices.
What are the top 5 must-have apps for travel nurses in 2025?
- Skill Gigs
- Medscape
- NurseGrid
- Airbnb
- Waze
Which apps provide reliable drug references or clinical calculators?
- Epocrates
- Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses
- MDCalc
- Nursing Calculator
Conclusion
In this fast-paced nursing world, it is important for nurses to stay up to date, well-informed, and organized. From managing shifts to enhancing clinical decision-making, finding temporary housing, or getting important medical information. These top 10 essential apps will help nurses make their lives less stressful so they can focus on patient care. Download these apps today and turn your smartphone into your personal assistant. One of the top apps of 2025 that is best for travel nurses is SkillGigs. It helps travel nurses find high-paying travel nursing contracts and opportunities to work in top healthcare facilities.
