More than 300 Drexel University nursing students traded their books in favor of Apple's iPod Touch on Monday morning to demonstrate the university’s plan to make vital medical information more readily available to students and professionals.
A faculty committee made the decision to switch to the iPod Touch because they thought the device was easy to use and resonated with the younger generation.
Dean Gloria Donnelly of Drexel University stressed that the faculty focused on patient safety when making the switch to iPods.
“Instead of carrying 47-pounds of books in a backpack, students can now take a four-ounce device out of their pocket and look up information they are unsure about right in front of the patient,” said Donnelly.
An Apple representative was on hand to show the power of the iPod Touch while demonstrating the simplicity of the four-ounce gadget.
All students that received their new iPods downloaded five books -- three of which interact with each other -- through an application called Skyscape. Medical updates are downloaded four times a year -- a luxury books cannot offer.
“[The switch to iPods] really puts Drexel on the cutting edge when it comes to bedside practice,” said Donnelly.
More and more universities could follow in Drexel’s footsteps and take the leap to the digital world in the near future.
