Best stethoscope for an ER Nurse?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Hi guys!

Although I have yet to start nursing school (starting august!), I know for sure I want to go into ER Nursing. I plan to get my stethoscope engraved and want to buy a good one to use both during and after I finish school. With that in mind, what stethoscopes do you guys use? I'm currently debating on getting the Littman Classic III and the Cardiology IV.

As a non-ER nurse, I have used a Sprague Rappaport (

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Seriously, it's operator, not the equipment... Take the time to really learn what you need to listen for. Then steth choice won't be an issue.

Agree. Learn to do a good exam. Then practice. Listen to samples, listen to as many patients as possible. If you really learn what you need to listen for, you'll be way ahead of plenty of people sporting fancy stethoscopes.

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Specializes in Ortho, ED.

I work in a smaller ED, and have for a number of years. When I went back to school for my ADN, I decided to upgrade my ears from a classic to a cardiology 3. (My tubing was cracked after over a decade of use). I have not regretted spending the money, and I haven't had any problems with anyone walking off with it. Yes it is a little heavier than the classic, but I can hear better with it. My ED doesn't have walls and doors for the most part, just curtains blocking off a space, so it is nice to have a better quality set of ears so I can hear over the ambient noise. Just my two cents.

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I work in a Level 1 ER. I love my Littman Master Classic II, it's a mid-tier one, so not as cheap as the $40 one and not the $150+ Cardiology either. I can hear everything and anyone who has ever borrowed it can't stop raving about how great it is. It was about $100. Good luck!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
Seriously, it's operator, not the equipment... Take the time to really learn what you need to listen for. Then steth choice won't be an issue.

I wish I could like this a thousand times.

I started as a brand new grad in the PICU where we weren't allowed to use our own stethoscopes at all, we had to use the cheap disposable ones from central supply because each patient had to have their own for infection control purposes.

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Once you buy a stethoscope I highly recommend buying the "BatClip" stethoscope holder on Amazon. For me I don't like carrying my stethoscope around my neck as it irritates my skin/is an easy target for confused elderly little old ladies to grab. The "BatClip" clips it to your waistband/pocket and has worked great for me...easy to clean/easy to access stethoscope quickly. The plastic holders are cheaper but do not work nearly as well.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

I have the cardiology stethoscope by Littman, not the electronic one and it works very well for me. My Littman II was great too. My close friend who is an ICU nurse said because she has practiced auscultation so much she is able to use cheap steathoscopes and they work fine for her. If I were just starting out, I'd probably go with the Littman light weight or any of the other models. I wouldn't get an electronic one because it wouldn't be necessary. ER is about knowing what to listen to, not so much about the finer points like the grading of murmurs and such.

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I love my Littmann Master Cardiology. I made it through nursing school and no one walked away with it. I had it engraved as well. I didn't mind spending $100 more for it as I use it all the time. It also came with a cool adapter for when I was on my Peds and OB rotations.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Yes, Charge200J! I'm a new grad ED nurse (~6months), and never liked the idea of having my stethoscope around my neck (where an acute patient can easily grab it- and me- at the worst moment. I'm also a guy that grew up with a grandpa that advocated gentlemen wear a belt with pants, to keep them up, and once I found scrubs with belt loops I snagged a BatClip and have never looked back! I know you don't need a belt, but that clip has a pretty beefy edge on it. The worst part about spending the money on this product is that every one of my coworkers (providers and nurses alike) knows the one person on my unit that reliably has ears at all times, and I become rather sought after from time to time.

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I wish I could like this a thousand times.

I started as a brand new grad in the PICU where we weren't allowed to use our own stethoscopes at all, we had to use the cheap disposable ones from central supply because each patient had to have their own for infection control purposes.

Just curious what they would have done then for nurses with hearing loss?

Not all of us can hear through a standard el cheapo.

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Hi. I work in the ER & use a Cardiology IV; several of the RNs & MDs use the Cardiology III. I suggest you try out both & see which one you like the best.

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One of the posters compared a stethoscope with golf clubs, and how you shouldn't spend money on clubs until you're good. Speaking as a golfer, bear with me while I expand that analogy to include the reality.

An expensive set of clubs is not nearly as important as getting your current set fitted to your swing. Your golf swing tendencies may not be completely corrected with lessons; therefore, having a set of golf clubs that responds predictably to your swing is vital to being a consistent player, and to improving. I spent about $350 on my used $150 set to shorten and adjust the lie angle on all my irons. What this did was make my mistakes and swing pattern more predictable, thereby making me a better player.

Leaving the analogy...Listen to many hearts, lungs, and bowels with different scopes. See what you like. If it happens to be the most expensive one then so be it. Don't listen to us. If your ears need an electronically-enhanced scope, Treat Yo Self. Littman Classic III is a great scope, if it works for you. Mine is a Cardiology III. It was great in the back of an ambulance, relatively light, and I trust my ears and my brain with it. Before that, I used a cardiology III knock off that was $90 bucks, a Littman Lightweight, and some other blacked out "tactical" scope (funny enough, my current scope looks way cooler than the blacked out tactical scope). Couldn't hear squat. Cardiology IIIs may suck for you, and the derided Sprague Double tube may be the best one for your ears (incidentally, I have sometimes heard better with the red contact precaution scopes than my current one, so I guess I don't know anymore).

Get your ears and your brain fitted for the best scope for you. Don't listen to us. Listen to your patients.

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