Nurse's Pocket Guide vs plusRN
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nurse's Pocket Guide
This app assists nurses in creating accurate nursing diagnoses and care plans. It provides detailed information for over 400 medical conditions, including definitions, interventions, and documentation guidelines. Users can also search by patient symptom to find related diagnoses.
- 400+ medical conditions with nursing diagnoses
- NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model updates
- NANDA-I and ICNP diagnoses
- Prioritized actions/interventions with rationales
- Care plan guides
- NIC and NOC labels
- Full text search
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Make accurate nursing diagnoses and develop effective care plans with this comprehensive app. Each diagnosis listing includes a definition, related factors, defining characteristics, prioritized actions/interventions, NIC/NOC classifications, and documentation guidelines. Or, choose by patient symptom and link directly to associated nursing diagnoses. Features of Nurse’s Pocket Guide include: • 400+ medical conditions with associated nursing diagnoses • NEW! Each diagnosis updated to incorporate the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) terminology • NEW! Completely up to date with diagnoses from the latest NANDA-I and ICNP (International Classification for Nursing Practice), broadening students’ understanding of the standardized nursing languages they’ll encounter throughout their careers. • Defining characteristics presented subjectively and objectively • Actions/Interventions organized by nursing priority with rationales. • Care plan guides • Icons for cultural, collaborative, community/home care, diagnostic studies, pediatric/geriatric/lifespan, and medications • NIC and NOC labels for each diagnosis • Full Text Search helps you find topics quickly • Highlight and make notes within any entry • “Favorites” for bookmarking important entries • Personalize your app with highlights and notes Authors: Marilynn E. Doenges, APRN, BC; Mary Francis Moorhouse, RN, MSN, CRRN, LNC Publisher: F.A. Davis Powered by: Unbound Medicine
plusRN
This AI-powered clinical companion assists nursing students and professionals in developing clinical judgment and core competencies. It guides users through patient care scenarios and offers on-demand answers from an AI preceptor. The tool supports learning the nursing process and enhances confidence in providing safe, effective care.
- AI-enhanced clinical training
- On-demand AI preceptor (Nurse Gia)
- Clinical Judgement Measurement Model (CJMM) alignment
- Real-world patient care scenarios
- SBAR communication script
- Best-practice skills and care tips
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WHAT IS plusRN? Your #1 Digital Preceptor plusRN is your personalized, AI-enhanced clinical training and reference tool, built to accelerate your journey to becoming an experienced nurse by strengthening your Clinical Judgement and Core Competencies. Now featuring Nurse Gia, your on-demand AI Preceptor, ready to answer any question related to nursing or the medical profession—24/7. Whether you need quick clinical insights, guidance on patient care, or help with assignments, Nurse Gia is here to support you every step of the way. HOW DO YOU USE plusRN? plusRN is your clinical companion at the bedside and beyond. It aligns with the Clinical Judgement Measurement Model (CJMM)—the new nursing process—to guide you through real-world patient care scenarios. Assess clinical findings and recognize/analyze cues Prioritize hypotheses and generate nursing/medical solutions Fill out your care plan and TAKE ACTION And when you need help—just ask Nurse Gia. WHO IS plusRN DESIGNED FOR? Nursing Students New Graduates (BSN, ADN, LPN) Preceptors and Clinical Instructors Practicing Nurses needing just-in-time support WHY USE plusRN? We know how important it is to feel confident and competent while caring for patients. plusRN empowers you with the tools and knowledge you need to provide safe, effective care—from bedside interventions to SBAR communication. With Nurse Gia, you never have to feel alone during clinicals or your first year on the job. PLUS UP YOUR CLINICAL JUDGEMENT plusRN guides you through each step of the CJMM: Assess a Clinical Finding – Use a systems-based approach to identify and analyze cues. Diagnose & Manage Care – Prioritize hypotheses and generate care plan solutions. Nursing Interventions – Take Action! Access best-practice skills and nursing care tips. Discharge Planning – Evaluate outcomes and prepare for next-level care. SBAR – Communicate effectively with our structured script. Ask Nurse Gia – Get immediate answers to nursing questions and clinical uncertainties. GET 2-WEEKS FREE ACCESS Explore all features, including unlimited questions to Nurse Gia, access to every clinical guide, and full reference functionality. Don't feel paralyzed while developing your clinical skills—build confidence faster with plusRN. TESTIMONIALS: “Using plusRN at the bedside gives me confidence during my clinicals.” — Brenna McClung, Student Nurse, San Diego State University “I wish I had plusRN in nursing school! It would have been really helpful in my first job in Med/Surg as well.” — Kelsey Moe, BSN, RN, St. Luke’s Medical Center THE STORY BEHIND plusRN We’re nurses too—and we’ve been where you are. Many schools and employers don’t fully prepare you to practice independently. That feeling of being overwhelmed? We get it. That’s why we created plusRN. Our content was written and reviewed by nurses with over 100+ years of combined clinical experience. With best-practice guidance and now AI support through Nurse Gia, plusRN is your go-to app to strengthen your clinical judgement and sharpen your nursing core. HOW TO GET STARTED: Download plusRN Open any topic to start strengthening your clinical judgement Ask Nurse Gia anything—24/7 AI preceptor access Reference best-practice points and take confident action Approach every patient like an experienced nurse Stop second-guessing yourself. Start becoming the nurse you want to be—faster. Download plusRN today for FREE. Privacy Policy: https://www.nexgenclinicaleducation.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.nexgenclinicaleducation.com/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: plusRN at every 2 weeks against Nurse's Pocket Guide's every 9 months. plusRN also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 55%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Nurse's Pocket Guide's advantage is chart position (#185 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Nurse's Pocket Guide sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and plusRN sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
plusRN holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 179 and 243 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Nurse's Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 82% of plusRN's.
Nurse's Pocket Guide ships an update every 9 months, plusRN every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Nurse's Pocket Guide | plusRN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (179 ratings) | 4.7 (243 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | 82.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 179 | 243 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #185 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Unbound Medicine, Inc. | Intuitive RN LLC |
Customer experience
Nurse's Pocket Guide
plusRN
Bugs and requests
Nurse's Pocket Guide
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
plusRN
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to cancel subscription
- Sign-up process has empty error messages
- App glitches prevent sign-up
In-app purchases
Nurse's Pocket Guide
- Nurse's Pocket Guide$49.99
- Nurse's Pocket Guide$59.99
plusRN
- PlusRN Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- PlusRN Yearly14 Days trial$49.991 Year
- PlusRN Yearly14 Days trial$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Nurse's Pocket Guide free?
Is plusRN free?
Which has better reviews, Nurse's Pocket Guide or plusRN?
Do Nurse's Pocket Guide or plusRN have ads?
Which is updated more often, Nurse's Pocket Guide or plusRN?
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