Blood Pressure Kit....does quality matter?

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.

Okay, I'm sure it does to certain extent...lol, but my mom, the RN lol, was telling me not to buy an affordable one that I saw at (not to mention any names) but the huge neighborhood superstore that everyone has in their neighborhoods....you know...three letter word-mart? Anyhow she said I need a good quality kit as I will be using it all the time. So I asked a girl who used to be a Med Tech in my CNA clinical class about it and she was saying that she paid $75 for hers and says that it's true, a good quality kit is better. But then my clinical instructor says, the expensive ones aren't worth it. So, my dilemma is I really would like to conserve funds, I don't want a crappy kit as I would like to hold on to it for a while.

Suggestions?

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I would conserve the funds and by a cheapy one cause once you are a nurse or CNA (Not sure what class you are in) you will not need your own anyway...

swtooth

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.

I'm a pre-nursing student in the CNA program right now. I've read a few posts on here about not neading it but my school requires us to have our own. They told us we will be using it over and over again, and if we didn't have our own we would be at a disadvantage. But a cheap one sounds fine if you guys think it might do!

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Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.

I spent the money on my scope and then only spend about $11 on my b/p cuff. I only have the b/p cuff because I want to practice. I spent the money on the scope because I too am going to be an RN (on the wait list now) and decided my money was better spent there. The only reason I see for spending a lot of money on a whole kit is if you plan on doing home health where you will have to bring it with you. Other than that, put the money into the scope and get a cheap b/p cuff. JMHO :biere:

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About how much should you spend on the stethoscope? I bought a light-weight Littman for less than $34. It usually retails for about 2x that, but I took an advertisement from allheart.com to a local store that price matches AND offers a discount on top of that. It's one of the lower-end Littmans, but I figure it will get me started. It doesn't hurt my ears like the no-name one that my school charged me $30 for (that really retails everywhere else for $15 ---it was a mandatory purchase...pretty stinky as far as I was concerned).

The Littman is great so far. I can hear really well. I don't yet know how to discern whistles, or pitchy sounds. I am not sure if it would even pick them up, or if I'd need one of the better Littmans.

I got my BP cuff there for about $9. (SmartSCRUBS in the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, Arizona. They also have great scrubs (their own brand) that are very well-made. They are one of the few I have found so far to offer a 34-inch inseam. I like their six-pocket scrub top. It is a little pricey, but it seems well made, and I like all the pockets. I have some pants from them that have three pockets. I want to try their cargo pants.

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