Assistance w/Littmann stethoscope

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Hey y'all,

I was curious if you can interchange the bell/diaphragms of the Littmann stethoscopes for a pediatric bell/diaphragm. I have a classic ii Littmann, and figured it would be cheaper if I could just swap out the bell for my ob/peds clinical. I found a really cheap infant/peds stethoscope but I really don't want to waste my money on something subpar. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ashlea

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

Honestly, I wouldn't spend money on anything. The stethoscope you have will work just fine with the bell. You aren't going to be diagnosing anything. The different scopes only give little differences, which is important if you are the doctor or the staff nurse, but I wouldn't spend money on a new scope just for a clinical rotation. You'd be surprised how much you can hear with the one you have. Plus, the specific stethoscopes aren't really useful until you have a well-trained ear to pick out tiny, tiny differences. If you have a couple days in NICU or something, the staff nurses are pretty cool about letting you taking a quick listen with their scope. All the other times, you will be using the scope on adults in OB or on kids that aren't that tiny. I wouldn't pull the diaphragm/bell off the tube anyway. And the rotation isn't that long. You'll be fine with what you got for the rotation. Just my opinion....

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
Hey y'all,

I was curious if you can interchange the bell/diaphragms of the Littmann stethoscopes for a pediatric bell/diaphragm. I have a classic ii Littmann, and figured it would be cheaper if I could just swap out the bell for my ob/peds clinical. I found a really cheap infant/peds stethoscope but I really don't want to waste my money on something subpar. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ashlea

At this level you do not need an expensive stethoscope. Also I would not buy a peds stethoscope. Wait and see what area of nursing you get a job in and then if you need a peds stethoscope buy one. FYI as an RN I currently work with adults and peds so I have the Littman Cardiology III which has a head that rotates to an adult side or a peds side

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

I just got the MDF stethoscope and said I would but myself a Littman cardiology III as a reward to getting to my last semester of nursing school. Now that I'm here, in still good with my MDF MD one stethoscope. I know I will buy myself a new one for graduation though, or get one as a gift.

I wouldn't spend money on a such a specific scope for a school, because your really just going to primarily need a generalized one for more mature clients.

Some of my classmates purchased the really expensive electric Littman, they love them. I however started thinking and purchasing as a broke nursing student from the get go, and didn't have the funds for such a scope at the time.

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I think it just depends on whether or not you need a better stethoscope. If a classic works for you then there's really no need to spend more money. In my case, however, I need the Cardiology iii because of my hearing impairment. I first tried the classic but it didnt work out for me.

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