Advice for stethoscopes...

[audra211]

I start a nursing program in January (ADN with BSN integration...so I'll go straight through to my BSN). We can have our own stethoscopes or use the one of the stethoscopes the college has available in the lab. If the stethoscopes in the nursing lab are anything like the stethoscopes we used in the anatomy/phisiology lab I will most certainly fail any lab requiring the use of a stethoscope. They were such cheap things that I could not hear on them at all. Therein lies another problem: I have tinnitus. This does affect my hearing capacities. And when I get frustrated my tinnitus just seems to go crazy and get very loud and then I cannot hear anything. So....after much research into stethoscopes I am still not sure what will be 1: enough for my needs and perhaps not just needs through school but into my career as I know many people whose have lasted years and years, and 2: what has acoustics that will help me get through my tinnitus issues. I can read all I want but thought possibly someone out there had the same problem and had some "experience advice." Thank you.

[Jaade]

I have a Littman but I recently bought an Ultrascope and I love it. I have been struggling with tinnitus lately, too, and the Ultrascope is just louder. Either stethoscope is a very good investment.