As nursing students, we could all use some useful study apps to help us pass those tough nursing exams. Some of us may struggle to make time for studying while balancing school with a job. In addition to all the extra readings and assignments, memorization can become a challenge. Below, I’ve listed 12 study apps for all nursing students that will help you study smarter, not harder. With most of these apps on your phone, you can ditch those boring textbook memorization techniques. In less time you will be able to recall and retain information faster and longer to ace all your major courses.
During nursing school, I hated studying for pharmacology but these apps helped me understand, enjoy and study the content differently. If you’re short on time or looking for a new way to study, scroll below for the best apps to help you.
1. Picmonic
Picmonic is hands down the best audiovisual study app that every nursing student needs to download. This study tool can help you prepare for all anatomy, pathophysiology, and pharmacology exams, including the final NCLEX. I discovered this app from LevelUpRN on Youtube during my second year of nursing school while studying for pathophysiology. The video mnemonics and multiple-choice quizzes (with rationales) helped me understand the concept easier and faster. Picmonic uses cool graphics and stories to help you study effectively in a short amount of time. This study tool has over 1,000+ mnemonic videos and over 10,000+ quiz questions to help you pass: fundamentals, pharmacology, pathophysiology, med-surge, microbiology, anatomy, critical care, psych, peds, OB and more. It also has mnemonics and mappings for chapters in common nursing school textbooks.
Picmonic is a paid subscription service. However, it’s 100% worth the money and is the most affordable study tool! If you’re a visual learner or looking for an easier way to study, this app is perfect for you! I downloaded this app when I started pathophysiology and pharmacology but I wish I had sooner. This app is perfect if you want an easier way to grasp content.
You can use my link for 20% off your subscription and save some $$. For both nursing programs: LPN or RN you can select from:
- $3.19/month for 24 months
- $3.99/month for 12 months
- $5.59/month for 6 months
All prices above include my 20% off discount. You can join their free version as well but you won’t get access to everything. They also have some free Youtube videos.
2. My Nursing Mastery: PN & RN
Every resource you need for nursing school is within this app! They have quizzes, mnemonics, flashcards, clinical topics, and clinical skills content. Most of the features are free, but there is a paid subscription fee to unlock the rest of the content. This app offers content for nursing students, new graduates, nurse specialties, and advanced practice.
The Mastery app has a higher monthly subscription price and I would not suggest purchasing it if you are on a budget. The monthly subscription service is $39.99. There are many other free resources or cheaper alternatives that won’t hurt your wallet. I never purchased the subscription on this app as I only use it for the free NCLEX study questions.
3. Quizlet
You’ve probably heard of this study tool since high school. I’ve been using this website since grade 10 and it is 100% free to use. A lot of nursing students publish their study cards and group them by categories. This is a free and simple way to study on the go. You can create your own flashcards or search for your study topic. I highly recommend making your own study cards because you will understand the content way better when the notes are written in your own words.
4. Merck Manual Pro
Merck Pro is a free medical resource for all medical professionals, students, and consumers. This app is the best used for brief overviews of medical disorders and topics. It includes a breakdown of the physiology, pathophysiology, etiology, classification, signs+symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments for hundreds of medical disorders. I suggest using this app mainly for pathophysiology and pharmacology review. Merck Pro would also come in handy for clinical placements when you come across a medical disorder you are unfamiliar with.
5. Epocrates
Epocrates is a free medical reference app. You can use this app to check Rx and OTC monographs. The app is always up to date and even includes Covid-19 resources. For additional features, such as the diseases and labs section, it costs $22.49/month. As students, there is no need to purchase the additional features. The layout of the app is so simple and saves you time when navigating for medications. There is also a dosing calculator if you ever forget the formulas.
6. Drug Guide for Nurses
A handy drug guide app can be useful when starting clinical placement. I suggest owning a physical mini drug guide instead. It can be seen as unprofessional if you were to take out your phone during placement. You will be introduced to new medications and you will be required to learn the indications, pathophysiology, nursing interventions, etc. Even if you can’t use this app during placement, you should still download it as a backup resource.
I’m Canadian and I use the Davis’ Canada Drug Guide App
Another good app is drugs.com
7. Nursing.com
Whether you are a pre-nursing student, current nursing student, or a new graduate, this website has many free resources for your journey. Nursing.com offers HD video lessons, care plan lessons, cheatsheets, patho charts, mnemonics, audio lectures, and NCLEX style practice questions. This app is similar to Picmonic, however, it offers a few more resources such as extra cheatsheets, 150+ nursing care plans, and 8 NURSING.com ebooks.
Nursing.com is a paid subscription service and you can start your 3 day trial for $1 and then billed $39/monthly. Again, I wouldn’t suggest purchasing this subscription service if you’re a on a budget.
They offer free weekly PDF cheatsheets if you sign up with your email. Checkout their free Youtube videos on their channel. They were previously NRSNG.com and changed to NURSING.com.
8. Figure 1 – Medical Cases
A completely free app about real-world medical cases. Interact with other healthcare professionals on different medical cases to expand your knowledge. You can post any case study and receive feedback/answers from other professionals and/or students in your specialty. The case studies can help you develop your critical thinking skills.
The next few apps are specific for NCLEX preparation
I will not go into too much detail about these apps as all of them are known to provide nursing students with a successful pass for the NCLEX. The subscriptions vary for each study guide. I suggest purchasing 1-3 of these study softwares to help you pass the exam. I provided a quick overview as I haven’t purchased any of them yet. These apps are based on new grad recommendations.
9. NCLEX RN or PN Mastery
The NCLEX Mastery App is in conjunction to the Nursing Mastery App listed above. There is a separate app for RN students and LPN students. Both apps have a monthly subscription cost of $25.99 each. You will get unlimited access to all questions, rationales, and text-prep resources with the paid subscription.
10. Nursing School Pocket Prep for PN & RN
This app helps you prepare for many different nursing exams: ATI TEAS, College Biology & Chemistry, HESI A2, NCLEX PN/RN, and NLN PAX.
They offer three different subscription options:
- $14.99/monthly
- $35.99/quarterly
- $89.99/yearly
11. Saunders Comprehensive Review NCLEX RN or PN (CRNCLEX)
Another NCLEX study tool with very limited free content. It costs $54.99 for the PN version and $69.99 for the RN version. Only download if you are willing to pay the full price. There is no subscription service and the price reflects a lifetime access. I suggest purchasing this one if you plan to study early but not ready to purchase the other study tools yet.
12. UWorld NCLEX
To use the app version, you’d need to have an active account from the official website. They offer over 2,000+ challenging questions and in-depth explanations. UWorld is cheaper in comparison to Kaplan. Most students purchased this software and passed on their first or second attempt. The price subscription is worth the money.
Prices for NCLEX-RN:
- $159/60 days
- $199/90 days
- $279/180 days
Prices for NCLEX-PN:
- $139/60 days
- $159/90 days
- $199/180 days
Thank you for reading, I hope you download some of these study apps and let me know what you find useful.
While you’re here, you can check out my other helpful nursing related blog posts:
8 BEST CLINICAL PLACEMENT TIPS FOR NURSING STUDENTS
5 SUCCESSFUL TIPS TO HELP YOU BALANCE NURSING SCHOOL & WORK
NURSING CLINICAL ESSENTIALS FOR 2020
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read full disclosure here. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers.