How to say no when someone asks for your stethoscope?

Nurses Relations

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Hi everyone,I'm a nursing student, and I've been asked a By a couple of people to borrow my stethoscope. I REALLY don't like loaning it out for a couple of reasons. I kind of thinks it's gross, I mean they go in your ears lol. And I'm also afraid it will grow legs and walk away... But as a lowly nursing student i feel awkward refusing these requests. Any suggestions as a good way to say no? Thanks,

What do you have for collateral?

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Specializes in ICU.

Some people got an A in entitlement. They "forget" to return your stuff.

Learn to look them in the eye and say "no I need it for my patients."

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Interesting three year old thread to revive ;)

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I don't understand the difficulty. Just say "sorry."

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I have a co-worker who also really dislikes loaning hers out. She wears a scrub jacket and puts the stethoscope in the jacket pocket (they usually have pretty big pockets). When people are looking to borrow one they usually check to see who has one draped around their neck. I don't think anyone has ever noticed she has one in her pocket, so no one even asks her.

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Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

Simply tell them you have an issue with the germ-side of it. They might be upset at first, but oh well, its yours. And just know that if there were ever a time that you needed one, they might not let your borrow theirs.

Personally I will let anyone borrow mine, and clean it afterwards. I have a little clip with my daughters picture on it that I got off Etsy, (almost impossible to remove). Everyone knows it is mine, I have left it for days and it will either end up in my mailbox or at the nurses station.

Now that I work in a school I keep it with me there, so when I work PRN at the hospital I am very grateful that someone lets me borrow theirs, after a thorough cleaning of course.

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As an audiologist I will say "JUST SAY NO!"

Cerumen can contain blood and pass pathogens just like other bodily fluids. Let's say Nancy has herpes and borrows your scope and you have an open sore in your ear canal and forget to wipe the scope ear buds off and you slide it in your ears with a chunk of her bodily fluids on it. You might have just got herpes from patient to surface contact.

Also many cases of otitis externa are passed the same way. I've seen patients get an external ear infection in one ear and end up getting it in the other ear because they will put their hearing aids in the same case and cross contaminating them.

Just say no and then lecture them on the fact it's a good way to swap bodily fluids and other ickies.

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Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

"You can borrow if if you can replace it..."

I've had to replace 2 b/p wrist cuffs this year, 1 pair of shears last year, 1 Littman master last year and I'm getting tired of supervisors/unit managers coming to work with no equipment asking to borrow my stuff. These people earn more than me. Why don't they ever have any equipment?

Then, they're always talking about how expensive my equipment is. My steth is an electronic littman and my thermometer is a temporal hospital grade. Well, why don't you go out and buy a $20 steth and stop asking to borrow my s***?!

I can't really refuse requests because the aides would be unable to do their job. We have a vitals to record. The facility wants to ban personal equipment but the facility equipment never works. So, the aides request my thermometer/wrist cuff because no one's going to be doing manuals on 20 pts and the workplace thermometer is nowhere to be found.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Oh yes, you can bet I can! I do manual BP's all day long in clinic. It CAN be done. I don't loan my shizz to ANYONE!

"You can borrow if if you can replace it..."

I've had to replace 2 b/p wrist cuffs this year, 1 pair of shears last year, 1 Littman master last year and I'm getting tired of supervisors/unit managers coming to work with no equipment asking to borrow my stuff. These people earn more than me. Why don't they ever have any equipment?

Then, they're always talking about how expensive my equipment is. My steth is an electronic littman and my thermometer is a temporal hospital grade. Well, why don't you go out and buy a $20 steth and stop asking to borrow my s***?!

I can't really refuse requests because the aides would be unable to do their job. We have a vitals to record. The facility wants to ban personal equipment but the facility equipment never works. So, the aides request my thermometer/wrist cuff because no one's going to be doing manuals on 20 pts and the workplace thermometer is nowhere to be found.

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Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

Nobody really wants to borrow mine. It's pricey, it's electronic and appears complicated when you look at it. It's also for someone who's hearing impaired.

Before that, I had no problem saying no after a doctor walked off with my infant stethoscope. I have pens no one want to use, as well.

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