Has anyone done this?

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

this past friday i had an elderly patient that came in with COPD exacerbation. Palliative care was being consulted with the patient and his family. We try to get nurses involved in the consults so we are aware of the plan and what the familys thoughts are. This way we can be "the bridge" between the medical team and palliative care.

Anyway...a doctor, NICEST woman in the world, came in to see this patient. I was sooo happy it was her. she is just amazing.

The patient was extremely hard of hearing and didn't have his hearing aids. he was getting really frustrated because he knew we were all talking about him. The doctor, family and myself were trying so hard to speak up but we literally almost had to yell for him to understand like 2 or 3 words.

the doctor took off her stethoscope, put it in the patients ears and talked into it. the patient heard everything!!

he now asks to use our stethoscopes whenever we go into the room so he can hear us.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

No I've never done that but that's a good idea haha.

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what a great post, i love it

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

He LOVES it! he told me it was better than the "silly hearing aid because it doesn't need batteries"

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Ingenuity at it's finest. Who would have thought?

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Keep a few cheaper stethoscopes around for this purpose. You don't want your $500 cardiac special walking off.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

He asked his family to go buy him one. He was like "Get that $10 out of my wallet and go get me one of these things"

Yup, $10 will for sure do the trick :yeah:

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Specializes in OB, Med/Surg, Ortho, ICU.

What a good idea!

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.

That is a really good idea, never thought of that:D:D

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Did that many years ago, before we were all afraid of cooties. Then we appropriated a 'scope off of the infection control cart - one of those ugly plastic ones.

It worked fairly well.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I'd like to know that doctor. Simple things. Who'd have guessed.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

Yes, i thought of infection control issues with it. But we clean before and after very well.

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