[Alternator81]

Originally Posted by TrendyNursingStudent

extra heart and lung sounds arent hard to hear at all if you can hear a BP

Sorry.. would have to disagree. Diastolic murmurs from lets say mitral stenosis are very very hard to hear. If you can't get a blood pressure, your not going to pick up subtleties.

[livingthedream]

I use the Card. III and bought it from AllHeart and got it for about $125 - also they have a way to put your name on it too - I paid about $15 for that and it was worth it!

[MB37]

I have a classic II, it's what my school recommended, and I think I paid $75. They sold them at orientation, and it came with a pen light, 4 color pen, bandage scissors, and a couple other things. I'm almost through Fundamentals, and any adventitious sounds that I couldn't hear were the fault of my lack of knowledge and skills, not the scope.

[TrendyNursingStudent]

I have heard several abnormal heart and lung sound with no prob with my scope. I have to agree with the last poster that said not being able to hear sounds were lack of knowledge not the scope.

[AZach]

I have a Littman Leightweight II SE. It's very light and I can hear pretty well with it. I'm very satisfied with it (I'm just finishing up fundamentals). It's about 40-50$, depends where you buy it. A few other students in my class use that one too.

[JustinTJ]

Going into ICU as an end goal, I'm going to get the best Littman I can buy. Either a Master or Cardio III.

[tass]

I don't know if you've made your decision yet, but I am a nursing student using the Master Classic II and it works very well. It's a step up from the Classic II sound wise, and it's nice not having to change between the bell and diaphragm. I would reccomend the Master Classic II as a good starting stethoscope if you wanted to get one other than the Classic II. Though the Classic II is the most widely used stethoscope I've seen, so if cost is really and issue, I'm sure you'd do well with that one. And if you live in the US, amazon.com sells Littmann stethoscopes for a good price. Hope that helps!

[BayouLPN]

After going through several "cheap" models, I settled on the 3M Littmann Lightweight II S.E. It was $67.00 at the time. (Still have the box) but I believe they have come down in price. I found that I could hear better with this scope and it wasn't as pricey as some of the other Littmann's. It, also, came in lilac...hehehe. I have not had experience with other brands of the same price range. So...for my money, the Littman is my choice.

[hooterhorse]

Strange as it may seem, I bought one of those expensive cardiology scopes and discovered that I heard "TOO MUCH"! Until I trained my ears....I found it easier to revert back to a cheap scope.
Jean & Houdini

[vamedic4]

I had an original Master Classic that I got in 1990 as a gift, and used it up until earlier this year when my nursing books crushed the gasket and ruined the head. I plan on getting another soon...a Master Classic II, that is, since they've improved things over the last 18 years I'm sure. I'm not fond of the Cardiology III, bulky bulky bulky...and expensive. And the tubings so *stinkin' short.