tips for holding onto stethescopes at work?

Agnus · May 11, 2002

My name is laser engraved and I have a tag with my (distinctive) first name in huge letters where is is very obvious. I have recorded the serial number. Best advice. don't ever lay it down. If you lend it, Know who you lend it too. And don't let them leave with out knowing it is once agin in your posession.

catlady, BSN, RN · May 11, 2002

Don't lend it out. Ever. If someone absolutely needs to use your scope, you stand there and you watch and you take it back the minute they're done. Don't trust anyone to give back a stethoscope, and if you care about your equipment, don't worry about whether you're going to offend someone by refusing to lend it out. If they were professional, they'd have their own equipment with them. I found out the hard way that they don't care, and it's your loss. Just say, very politely but firmly, "I don't lend out my stethoscope."

ERNurse752, RN · May 11, 2002

Some people don't lend theirs out to anybody...

I'll lend mine (Littman Cardiology III), but I keep close tabs on its whereabouts, and if I see that they're done, I ask for it back.

The tubing of it tends to make my neck red and irritated at times, so I sometimes wear one of those stethescope socks over it, which makes it harder to tell that it's a Littman...incognito, if you will...hehehe

CEN35 · May 11, 2002

how to hold on to it?

with your hand! lmao! :chuckle ok just kidding...i couldn't pass that one up!

i don't let anybody use mine...unless it's a doc i really know well and trust. i didn't pay $135 for someobody else to stick it in their ears! lol!

me :)

kats · May 11, 2002

Thanks for the tips.

fedupnurse · May 11, 2002

Put some scuzzy looking stuff on the eartips. A note near it about the contagious, fatal ear disease would also ensure no one will go anywhere near your other set of ears. I also keep a spare, my old Littman in my locker. If you're going to work in a heart or lung area it is essential to have a good set of ears.

Good luck. Sad to say it isn't only stethescopes that disappear in hospitals, lock up anything of value!

ERNurse752, RN · May 12, 2002

"Put some scuzzy looking stuff on the eartips. A note near it about the contagious, fatal ear disease would also ensure no one will go anywhere near your other set of ears"

hehehe...great idea!!!!

:eek: :roll

nursedawn67, LPN · May 12, 2002

i bought my littman in a bright shade of pink, and i have a hard to remove tag on it with my name. and i keep it with me at all times for the most part, but really most everyone i work with ask before they even touch it. or they like don't want to borrow personal stethoscopes (because people are funny about haveing others use their scopes.)

good luck keeping hold of it, personalize it, name tags, color, maybe even a cover, then it is easy to id!

ERNurse752, RN · May 12, 2002

Yeah, heard the colors at the top of the "hot list" are black and navy blue, so getting something like bright pink etc is something of a security measure.

Mine is navy blue, and it hasn't escaped me yet...but I've had a few tense moments.

susanmary · May 12, 2002

My Littman stays on my neck for my entire shift. The few times I've lent it out, I've gone in the patient's room with the doc/nurse and retrieved it immediately after the assessment. At the end of shift, my stethescope gets locked up -- I never leave it around.

LaurieCRNP2002, MSN, RN, APRN · May 12, 2002

Although this is not exactly an absolute guarantee, you could get your name or initials engraved on the bell--I got mine a few years ago from Redding Medical and they did this (at my request, of course) for a small fee (don't remember how much, sorry). Like the others said, either don't lend it out at all or just be very particular about who you lend it to. I also agree with susanmary--I would lock it up when you leave work--or better yet, take it home with you.

Redding Medical--http://www.reddingmedical.com

Laurie

:lol2: