Nurses sound off! Steth belt clip or around the neck?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

How do you carry your stethoscope?

Do you keep it around your neck, tucked in your pocket or do you have the belt clip?

Do you even keep it with you?

Or do you use the (shudder) public, staff use steths?

Also, what kind do you have and what color?

I have a Littmann Cardiology III in Plum. (Thank god it was a dark plum.)

I have long thick hair but I wear mine around my neck. It's a bright pink ultrascope with a little stick figure nurse. It does sometimes get in the way and my hair tangles even when I wear it up. We don't have staff steths and I wouldn't use one if we did. My pants are always trying to fall off me with all the stuff in my pockets I think I'd have some embarrassing moments if I added my stethoscope to my pants.

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Specializes in pedies/emergency/urgentcare/sportsmed.

neck......its convenient ..and around my eyes n ears...maybe its a sensory thing w/ me. also cut my hair real short..cant deal w the tanglements of hair, glasses thing, & scope.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

Be aware that if you wear it around your neck the oils in your skin will eventually make the tubing hard and permanently bent. Sometimes it will even crack. It's kind of spendy to get it fixed. A cover helps prolong the life of the tubing but only for a short time. This has been mine an many of my colleagues experience with Littmans. Not sure about the Ultrascope tubing.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
For all of you that wear it in your scrub pants, does it not pull your pants down? We were told to keep it in the leg pocket of our pants in clinical, but it was CONSTANTLY pulling my pants down which to me is 10 x more annoying than a bad wedgie :bugeyes:

That's why I always wear either Landau 7-pocket cargo pants that have belt loops or Aviators with a built in belt. That way I can carry my steth, the med room keys, scissors, billforld, flashlight, Leatherman, cell phone, and a partridge in a pear tree with out having to constanly hitch up my pants.

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Specializes in mental health, aged care/disability care.

Mine is purple, can't remember what brand. I don't actually use it at work yet but am looking forward to when I can. I wish we could wear cargo pants with lots of pockets. We have to wear tailored pants and the pockets are so small!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatric, Hospice.
Bear in mind that, while it may look cool to wear it around one's neck, a stethoscope worn that way creates an easy opportunity for a person who intends harm to the person wearing it. Be careful.

Yes, this is definitely not allow in the psych unit either.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I have a black Littman Neonatal, which I keep on the shelves near my babies bedsides while I'm doing my assessments in the NICU. I carry a clipboard which opens up for storage of stuff, and keep it inside the clipboard when I'm not using it.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, Med-Surg.

I have a Littmann Master Cardiology and it lives around my neck. My pockets are FULL of everything else and I've torn my scrubs nearly off wearing those steth clips.

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If I'm wearing scrubs with a cargo pocket, it goes there. I bought a clip, but it wasnt worth the 5 bucks. Ive seen a really nice leather clip that has better reviews, but I cant bring myself to shell out 30 bucks for a steth clip. If I dont have cargos on, then I leave it in my bag until Im doing assessments. I just have a black Littmann II.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

That's why I always wear either Landau 7-pocket cargo pants that have belt loops.

*sigh*

I wore those when we were allowed to wear navy-colored scrubs. LOVED them. Fit so well, the belt was awesome for keeping them "up"...

We were recently forced to change to wine-colored scrubs, and Landau doesn't offer these pants in wine...damn the luck. So aggravating.

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I have a Littman II Classic SE in Raspberry. I'm just starting nursing school in August but I can't stand to have things around my neck so I'm guessing it will be in my pocket.

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There is a Male Nurse I work with who wears his on a clip hanging right in the middle of the front of his pants. It swings to and fro all day long. I thought of getting one until I was exposed to him wearing his that way on a daily basis. Just looks wrong.

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