There are so many different brands of cell phones today it’s hard to decide what’s best for a travel nurse.  And there are so many different wireless phone service companies to choose from! 

As far as choosing a cell phone, my recommendation would be either the Palm Pilot Treo, iPhone or Blackberry–strictly because of the nursing and medical software you can add to it from Skyscape.  Many clinical settings will not allow cell phone usage inside the building, however, you can shut off the phone and still use the other features (i. e. Skyscape software–drug manuals, Taber’s, Merck Manual, nursing diagnosis/interventions, calculator, dictionaries, etc.).  The cell phone is small enough to fit in your uniform pocket and comes in handy when you want a quick answer and don’t have time to go searching for a reference book.  

Another feature of Skyscape is their Skyscape MedAlert service which helps ensure that you stay up-to-date by delivering the latest medical information and breaking news by specialty directly to your PDA whenever you sync.

As far as choosing a wireless phone service company, you want one that covers as much of the United States as possible, particularly along the main highways.  I’ve used Sprint PCS for the last 8 years, when I got my first cell phone, with very good success – Verizon and Alltel also have very good national coverage.  

And remember, as a travel nurse, the cost of your cell phone and your monthly cell phone bill is tax deductible!