Doctor stole my stethoscope

[ayejay09]

So, this week hasn't been fun. My lovely Litmann that I received as a Christmas gift has been stolen by a doctor. I've even gone so far as to post fliers around the unit. I know that many nurses have their stethoscope stolen. My thought is "If doctors are stealing our stethoscopes, why are the facilities not paying us for those EXPENSIVE things?" Take it out of their paychecks. Every stethoscope stolen results in money taken from their paychecks. Or make them pool money together to supply us stethoscopes.

Needless to say, I miss my stethoscope. Who else has these problems? How do you track your stethoscope down?

[mona904]

I am a student and one of my training ground nurses said the Dr would always ask for her stethoscope so there is something to what you are saying. He would come right out and ask her for hers. Now, I honestly don't see the logic but it happens. I don't have a fancy Littman yet, but I do have a hot pink one, with a pink initials cuff on it.

[DeborahAnneBoory]

I would like to think that perhaps a doctor picked it up to use it and simply left with it draped around his/her neck. I would imagine it was an honest oversight. Perhaps once they see the flier it will show up again. Meanwhile, as others have said, keep it around your neck and it won't have the opportunity to disappear. Best of luck finding it.

[JayHanig]

If you treasure something, you mark it. I clipped a dog tag to mine and never had it walk off.

[cathy88]

Get a hot pink stethoscope. Something a typical doctor would not want to wear.

[GPSteiner]

That is unfortunate it has gone missing, more often than not I've seen fellow nurses walk off w/ a stethoscope because it was nearby, hung on a door or IV cart or whatever.

I've been lucky enough to keep my Littman Cardio3 for 12years now, at the time I got a color which was just released and no one has (Gray) since then I've only come across 4 people to have gray cardio3's, going past that add something to make yours identifiable, sure name tags and distraction light/sound toys (I work in pediatrics) all those things can be removed -- but etching your name or a few letters can go along way. --Etch your name or a distinctive marker on it, something that can't be removed

Once my wife graduated RN I got her the same stethoschope in a rasberry color and her full name etched on it. No one would etch mine over concern they would mess up the sound quality so i etched my initials myself.

[cpr,sucka]

Ab so lootly. Hot pink. I went ranger danger on the rig and they called me safety sam because all my kit from knife to lunchbox was either bright safety yellow or orange. Doctors only steal **** that's neutral in color...

[Nursebarebari]

They stole mine twice, since then I started using the cheap ones provided by the facility. Nobody asks to borrow it anymore. My expensive one is in my locker just in case and thank God I never had to bring it out.

[Nurselincoln1]

You are right! It is a diagnostic tool! Hospitals should supply stethoscopes. Been there! Doctors have tried to walk off with mine a couple of times!

[BrownRN]

My clinical professor said that if an MD ever asked to use her stethoscope she would say that she's getting over an ear infection. That usually deterred the MD from wanting to use it. 😜

[FutureFatMan]

*cracks knuckles*

Okay buddy. Your stethoscope was stolen? Really? That implies an act of malice, and somehow I DOUBT that. Your property is your responsibility, if you feel it was STOLEN report it to an admin (good luck with that insanity). You will probably be told the following: you're an adult, keep track of your items. Get your stethoscope engraved. If you can't afford the extra ten dollars on that, you shouldn't be buying a Littmann anyways.

[Lakeshore18]

I never lend my bright orange stethoscope, which is ALWAYS looped around my neck, to anyone I do not personally know! And when I do, I usually look them straight in the eye and say with a smile, "if you don't come back in 5 minutes with this, I will hunt you down like a dog!" Usually they laugh, but they always come back with it! And I would NEVER allow anyone to just take it off my neck and breeze out of the room with it. That's just rude.

[tina109]

A Dr. taken mine right off my neck,used it and walked off with it. I tracked him down in the staff coffee lounge. I called him Right out..Is that my stethoscope . He looked crazy. My Name was engraved and tagged on it. He said Sorry I didn't mean to take it.