The duration of travel nursing jobs can vary, depending on each assignment, but being away from home for a period of time may necessitate having a more portable PC than a desktop. With the number of computing options currently available, travel nurses shouldn't feel tied down by technology.
What's more, having a tool that can easily fit in a bag and be carried while on the job may be desirable to some healthcare professionals. Certain facilities may even support bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs or encourage such tools, as they may have resources for mobile workers. Deciding what device best fits a travel nursing lifestyle may be a personal choice, but tablets and laptops each offer their own benefits of ownership. A big piece of the puzzle could involve the changeover to electronic health records (EHR) as well.
Tablet devices
As part of the BYOD revolution and in keeping with evolving technology innovations, employers are increasingly encouraging workers to use their own tablets and smartphones at work, or else providing them to employees on-site. As a travel nurse on temporary assignment, this means it may be ideal to have a primary computing device at the ready that can support these functions.
Federal requirements regarding EHR at medical institutions may increase the proliferance of tablet computing, Physicians Practice reported. Added mobility on the floor can mean easier access to patient records and hospital systems, and if a facility doesn't provide tablets, a travel nurse could lose out on productivity.
TabletCrunch noted that gaining access to these internal systems requires having a tablet, and furthermore, these devices are easier to carry on a regular basis than a laptop.
Laptop computers
In terms of memory and power, laptops can be just as flexible and reliable as a desktop PC without the bulk. For travel nurses that need a broader range of utility than simply recalling records or reviewing information while at work, these devices are vital for other essential aspects of the job. Even in cloud computing environments, the lack of a standalone keyboard and other resources can make a tablet hard to use, and rather than packing multiple items to get that operational capacity from a tablet, a laptop provides an all-in-one package that is almost as portable. PCWorld recommended that those who already own smartphones have no need to purchase a tablet, as these tools can already do nearly everything a tablet does.