How much should I spend on Stethoscope?

Jules A, MSN · Jun 24, 2007

Hi and welcome,

I spent about $50 on a Littmann type that was a one sided stethoscope. Our school required a dual sided one but never said anything about mine. Some of the sites that sell them give sound ratings on the different types. I'm sure others will write in also. Good luck.

JoAnnS · Jun 24, 2007

Hi and welcome,
I spent about $50 on a Littmann type that was a one sided stethoscope. Our school required a dual sided one but never said anything about mine. Some of the sites that sell them give sound ratings on the different types. I'm sure others will write in also. Good luck.

Thank you!..I appreciate the feedback.... Guess I'll keep looking around.

ladylynx · Jun 25, 2007

Hi and welcome,
I spent about $50 on a Littmann type that was a one sided stethoscope. Our school required a dual sided one but never said anything about mine. Some of the sites that sell them give sound ratings on the different types. I'm sure others will write in also. Good luck.

Due to moving around for clinicals and "stress" you might loose many stethoscopes. I suggest trying those least expensive ones first and maybe as a graduation gift to yourself by yourself a Littmann. I still carry a colorful least expensive one and when someone borrows it they comment on the clarity. Somethings are still overrated. Also when in the hospital you can try a few for yourself.

JoAnnS · Jun 25, 2007

:thankya::thankya:

thank you... yes.. that is a smart idea...

i would hate to have to keep buying them. at this point, i have no idea what the difference is and i've never used the instrument.

i guess i have a lot ahead of me.

thank you

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 25, 2007

Yeah, I was going to suggest not to spend too much in the beginning while in school. There will be alot to carry around at that time...the drug book, bandage scissors, penlight, note pad and other things that get lost all the time. I remember feeling very loaded in the apron strings with all of that stuff. Since graduation, I did get a litman stethoscope and a very tiny pocket sized drug book that stays close to my side, and I also got a very thin calculator (that I have only used once). If the school requires a specific one, then get that. Good luck in your program!

brwneyegal · Jun 25, 2007

Buying a stethoscope pretty much depends on what you want to hear. You can buy a cheap stethoscope for school then get a better one when you graduate. I have a litman souble sided cost $90.00 whe I graduated 11 years ago and I love it. But I have a few sprague's that work fine too and they are much cheaper.

doingourbest · Jun 25, 2007

I spent about $200 on a littman cardiac stethescope. I am very glad I have it. Anytime I am in a situation where I do not have my own stethescope and have to use some cheap one, I feel that I cant hear what I need to hear. It is well worth the money. You can get a relatively cheap littman that will work well.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2007

When I was a student, my school issued all of the students a cheap stethoscope as part of the tuition. I highly recommend using a cheap steth during school, because the more expensive ones tend to 'walk away' mysteriously into someone else's ownership. Here's an easy tip if you cannot hear anything out of a cheap steth. The tubing might be too long, which muffles the sounds, so you should cut the steth about 3 to 6 inches from the bottom to shorten the length. Then, you reattach the bell/diaphragm piece to the bottom of the newly shortened steth. I did this to my cheap steth, and it worked wonders.

As a student, I highly recommend the double-tubed NurseMates stethoscopes. They work very well and look expensive, but cost less than $20.

linzz · Jun 28, 2007

I have a littman steth that I spent about $90. on and only because I don't hear well over a lot of background noise. I do find that I wish I could just use a cheap steth because they do walk and it is a bit of a pain to keep mine on me at all times.

lyfhckr · Jul 3, 2012

I have a littmann cardiology III that i use at work and at school. Work is a little strict when doing manual BP and i hear clearly when using this stethoscope. It's been with me for 2 years now and still perfect. Littmann Classic II SE is also excellent and not that heavy (I should've gotten this one instead) My instructor told us to get the best stethoscope because as students, we need to learn and master different sounds, so our school-provided stethoscopes will not do if we won't be able to hear the ones that we're suppose to hear. She has a point but again, the best and good stethoscopes are not cheap. :cry: but good investment as long as you take care of it and not lose it.

Iâ™¥Scrubs, LPN · Jul 6, 2012

I bought this one pretty cheap and I find that it is pretty decent for the price. I also had a doctor friend of mine test it out to see how good it was, and she said it was actually pretty good for what I paid and she said for nursing school it would be fine. I figured once I get a job in the field I will get a better one, but for now, I wanted one that was cheap and will get the job done! Amazon.com: Prestige Medical Clinical Lite Stethoscope, Hot Pink: Health & Personal Care