stethoscope

Nurses Uniform/Gear

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Hi everyone,

A quick question for any in the know second year students or anyone with previous experience with stethoscopes. We need one for clinicals, and I have read here on other threads about the Littmans. Are they really good? Any reccomendations? I am specifically thinking of purchasing the Littman Cardio 3, does anyone have anything to share about this one?

TIA!:nurse:

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Specializes in SRNA.

You may want to see the current discussions in the Stethoscope sub-forum:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f316/

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I love mine, I would not use anythning else but a Littman. Definately a good investment in in my oppinion.

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Since I've started NS; I'm in 3rd semester I've accumulated 3 scopes.

I have a Littman cardiology III, prestige medical light weight, and a Magna Fortis magnacardia. I like the Magna Fortis the best. It's not as heavy as the Littman and keeps out more unwanted noises. I will admit I never paid over 40.00 for any of the although 2 of these can be pricy. Ebay can be great sometimes!!!

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Thread moved to Nursing Stethoscope forum.

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Specializes in LTC.

I love my Littman. I've had it since the beginning of nursing school

(2 years). I love it.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Littmans are excellent! I love mine and would buy another in a heartbeat!

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My personal opinion is to try before you buy. I wouldn't just go online and buy a stethoscope that costs $100 or more like a Littman Cardiology III unless I tried it out myself. At least try some of your colleagues scopes out and see how they fit and how well you can hear with them-- you might actually find out that a cheaper scope works out just as well if not better for you.

Some things that you might want to look for in a good stethoscope: look for a comfortable fit (make sure you put it on correctly!) and a tight seal in your ears. Listen to some heart and lung sounds and make sure that you can hear them clearly and crisply.

Also, you might want to think about whether or not you want a bell and a diaphragm built in separately or a tunable diaphragm. The littman Cardio III has a pediatric side that can be converted into a traditional bell, which is a nice option, but something like the Master cardiology is just a tunable diaphragm. This may make a difference in your decision.

Also, don't discriminate-- if you can try out the Welch Harvey Elites, Sprague Rappaports, and all the other stethoscopes out there. Some of these things can be quite expensive, and consider this an investment. This is a piece of equipment that you could potentially have for a long time, so try to get something that works well for you.

Finally, it's not the stethoscope that's the most important element in ausculatation-- it's the user.

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