Best Laptops for Nursing Students to Gift
Nursing school is a demanding, intense program of study that calls on students to absorb, retain, and use a dizzying amount of theoretical and practical knowledge. For American nursing students preparing for careers in one of the nation’s most vital healthcare professions, having the right tools can make all the difference between struggling and succeeding.
Nursing students prepare for their exams not as if their own lives depend on passing, but rather as if someone else’s life depends on it. Because it often does.
Being prepared with the correct tools for success is crucial. Ask any working nurse, and they’ll tell you. In nursing school, expect to study more than you expect. And, especially for nursing students, the right laptop is an essential study and productivity tool.
Finding the Right Laptop for Nursing Students
The best laptop for college nursing students must meet a series of qualifications: light and portable to bring everywhere, durable to undergo heavy use in multiple locations, and with sufficient battery life to last between charges.
An additional concern for nursing students looking for the right laptop is connectivity — both wireless and wired, as schools and medical facilities often have very different IT setups. Having a laptop that is ready for those situations can be a grade-saver. And, ultimately, a life-saver.
Cost is also a factor when looking for a good laptop. The student preparing for a career in nursing is often on a budget. As with most things, the more you are willing or able to spend, the more you’ll get.
You can also find all you’ll need for the school year, whether you’re a student or teacher, on our HP Back to School Guide, featuring bundles and curated PC and accessory options picked for your specific education needs. For special discounts every day of up to 40% on tech for school, join the HP Education Store Program - no student ID is required!
Key Features Every Nursing Student Needs
Before diving into specific models, it’s important to understand what makes a laptop ideal for nursing education. Beyond the basics of portability and battery life, nursing students benefit from:
- Reliable connectivity options for accessing electronic health records systems
- Adequate processing power for running medical simulation software
- Sufficient storage for large medical imaging files and course materials
- Durable construction to withstand daily transport between clinical sites and classrooms
- Long battery life for marathon study sessions and clinical rotations
With these requirements in mind, we’ve selected laptops across three price ranges to suit different budgets and needs.
Choose from 3 Price Ranges
Selecting a laptop model can be a daunting task. Faced with hundreds of options, there is an “option paralysis” that happens. When given too many things to choose from, people tend to fiddle and make no choice at all.
So we’ve assembled a manageable list of 3 options to choose from, picking one of the best laptops for nursing students at three different price ranges. From more budget-conscious models to premium ones, here are the models we’ve chosen as the best laptops for students in nursing college. Keep in mind that as price increases, so do options and processing power.
Best Budget Laptop for Nursing Students
HP Chromebook 14a-nf0050nr
The HP Chromebook 14a-nf0050nr is an excellent choice for budget-conscious nursing students who primarily work through web-based learning platforms. With so many nursing programs utilizing online resources such as Google Classroom to organize and upload classwork, having a laptop that excels at web-based tasks is often enough to succeed as a nursing student.
- ChromeOS
- Intel® Core™ N-series processor
- Intel® UHD Graphics
- 8 GB memory; 128 GB UFS storage
- 14" diagonal FHD display
HP Chromebooks are streamlined laptops built for one primary function: to connect to the internet and run web applications from a browser. They offer a very budget-friendly price point with key functionality that nursing students need for coursework, research, and communication with instructors and peers. The FHD display provides crisp, clear visuals for viewing digital textbooks and online lecture materials.
Web Browser Optimized
When purchasing an HP Chromebook, it is important to remember that while it has the form factor of a laptop with keyboard and the ability to plug in speakers, headphones, and an external mouse, it is optimized to run web-based applications. This makes it perfect for nursing students who complete their assignments through web portals and cloud-based systems.
HP Chromebooks run Chrome OS, which is a web-focused operating system that integrates the Google suite of free web apps into its user interface.
Perfect for Running the Google Suite of Web Applications
Chromebooks are generally thin, lightweight, and inexpensive. This price point is made possible by the focused nature of the task it accomplishes, being a web-client optimized device. They connect to the internet and run web-based applications efficiently, handling everything from Google Docs for note-taking to online nursing exam platforms.
Chromebooks run the cloud-stored Google suite of web applications, which can open and save documents made by Microsoft Excel or Word. They can perform word processing document creation and editing through Google Docs and spreadsheets through Google Sheets - perfect for tracking clinical hours, creating study guides, and organizing pharmacology notes. With 8 GB of memory and 128 GB of storage, this Chromebook offers more capacity than entry-level models, giving nursing students room to store essential files and run multiple browser tabs simultaneously.
Best Midrange Laptop for Nursing Students
HP Laptop 17t-cn400
The HP Laptop 17t-cn400 is an all-purpose laptop that covers all the bases that a nursing student needs to hit. It’s a solid size with a large 17.3" display that’s perfect for viewing detailed anatomical diagrams, medical charts, and multiple windows simultaneously during study sessions.
- Windows 11 Home
- Intel® Core™ 3 100U (up to 4.7 GHz, 10 MB L3 cache, 6 cores, 8 threads) + Intel® Graphics
- 8 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (1 x 8 GB)
- 256 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
- 17.3" diagonal, HD+ (1600 x 900), anti-glare, 250 nits
The larger screen size makes this laptop ideal for nursing students who need to reference multiple resources simultaneously - whether it’s comparing lab values while reading case studies or following along with online lectures while taking notes. Windows 11 Home ships standard, providing full compatibility with specialized nursing education software that may not run on web-only systems.
Portable and Practical
Despite its larger screen, the HP Laptop 17t-cn400 maintains reasonable portability for students who need to move between lecture halls, study groups, and clinical sites. The anti-glare display ensures comfortable viewing even in brightly lit hospital environments or outdoor study spaces.
Speedy Performance for Medical Software
The solid-state drive (SSD) internal storage provides fast performance and boot-up speed, along with quick program-loading that surpasses older spinning-hard-drive models. This means less time waiting for your computer to start and more time studying. Beyond that, SSDs are lighter and less prone to error from accidental bumps or drops - an important consideration for nursing students constantly on the move.
The Intel® Core™ 3 processor and integrated graphics handle all manner of video playback your courses require without a hitch, from recorded lectures to medical procedure demonstrations. It provides sufficient power for running nursing-specific software while remaining affordable for student budgets.
Best Premium Laptop for Nursing Students
HP OmniBook Ultra Flip Laptop 14-fh0047nr
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip Laptop 14-fh0047nr is a premium, high-end model notebook that will meet every need that a nursing student might face. It is “future-proof,” as much as any laptop can be, lasting throughout school and well into the career of the working nurse.
- Windows 11 Home
- Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor
- Intel® Arc™ Graphics
- 16 GB memory; 1 TB SSD storage
- 14" diagonal 3K OLED touch display
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip is an ultra-light 2-in-1 laptop. This means that it combines the tactile features of touch screen tablets with the more conventional capabilities of a standard laptop computer, with keyboard and pointer. This versatility is invaluable for nursing students who may need to sketch diagrams, annotate medical illustrations, or quickly switch between typing notes and reviewing touch-based educational apps.
Stunning 3K OLED Display
The display is a 14" diagonal touch screen with 3K OLED resolution that displays incredibly detailed images - perfect for viewing high-resolution medical imaging, anatomical charts, and cellular structures. The OLED technology provides exceptional color accuracy and contrast, which is crucial when studying pathology slides or reviewing diagnostic images.
Outstanding Battery Performance and Portability
What may prove to be the most valuable aspect of the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip for the nursing student is its combination of powerful performance and portability. The laptop is designed for all-day use, making it ideal for students who spend long hours in clinical rotations followed by evening study sessions. The convertible design allows you to flip the screen for tablet mode during clinical rounds when space is limited.
Professional-Grade Security Features
Along with the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip’s premium design comes enhanced security features appropriate for healthcare settings. The touch screen with Windows Hello compatibility provides quick, secure access to your device - important when dealing with sensitive patient information during clinical rotations. These features make the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip quick and easy to use, but secure enough for professional healthcare environments.
Thoughtful Design and Construction
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip is built for professional use and heavy handling. The durable construction factors in the concerns of users who are constantly moving between different environments - from classroom to clinical site to library. The convertible hinge is designed to withstand thousands of flips, ensuring reliability throughout your nursing education and beyond.
Ample Storage and Memory for Demanding Programs
With 1 TB of SSD storage and 16 GB of memory, this laptop has more than enough space and power for all your nursing school needs. Store thousands of pages of textbooks, lecture recordings, clinical notes, and reference materials without worrying about running out of space. The generous memory ensures smooth multitasking when you’re running medical simulation software, video conferencing with study groups, and researching evidence-based practices all at once.
All of these features position this laptop as an investment in your nursing education and future career. While it represents a higher initial cost, the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip is built to last throughout nursing school and into your professional practice.
Essential Laptop Accessories for Nursing Students
Beyond the laptop itself, nursing students benefit from key accessories that enhance their study experience and protect their investment:
External Mouse for Extended Study Sessions
Long hours of studying are more comfortable with an external mouse. Consider options like the HP 935 Wireless Mouse for precise control during anatomy reviews or the HP 920 Ergonomic Vertical Mouse for day-long comfort during clinical documentation practice.
Protective Laptop Bags
Transport your laptop safely between clinical sites with the HP Renew Executive 16 Laptop Backpack or the HP Professional 17.3-inch Backpack
. These bags feature lockable zippers and multiple pockets for organizing stethoscopes, medical reference guides, and other nursing essentials.
Quality Headphones for Focus
Block out distractions in busy study areas with the Poly Voyager Legend 50-M Headset UC, which features noise-cancelling microphone and in-line volume controls - perfect for online lectures and telehealth simulation exercises.
Making the Right Choice for Your Nursing Education
Choosing the right laptop for nursing school depends on your specific needs, budget, and how you prefer to study. Budget-conscious students who primarily use web-based platforms will find everything they need in a Chromebook. Those requiring more versatility and local software capabilities should consider the midrange option. And students seeking a device that will serve them from first semester through their entire nursing career may find the premium option worth the investment.
Remember that many nursing programs have specific technology requirements, so always check with your program’s IT department before making a purchase. Some clinical sites may also have restrictions on device types or require specific security features, particularly when accessing electronic health records.
Conclusion
The right laptop can be a nursing student’s most valuable study tool, supporting everything from online coursework to clinical documentation practice. Whether you choose a budget-friendly Chromebook for web-based learning, a versatile midrange laptop with a large display, or a premium 2-in-1 that will serve you throughout your career, investing in quality technology is investing in your success as a future nurse.
As you prepare for the challenges of nursing school, ensure your technology is ready to support your journey. Explore the full range of HP laptops and 2-in-1s to find the perfect match for your needs, and don’t forget to check out the HP Education Store Program for special student discounts.
Your future patients are counting on you to succeed - make sure you have the tools to help you get there.
