Littmann 3000 = 2 questions

athena55, BSN, RN · Apr 24, 2009

Hi Chris:

I have the Littman 4000 and I paid over $500 for mine and I love it.

I have seen the Littman 3000 and I like the way it is put together, a wee bit smaller or more compact, I should say, than the 4000.

I am profound to severe hearing loss so the 4000 works great. In fact a lot of the hearing nurses I work with liked it so much they went ahead and brought the 3000.

Go to www.allheart.com this web site has a lot of different amplified stethoscopes and many of them have sales.

Best of luck to you....

athena

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 24, 2009

moved to nursing stethoscope forum

ermen · May 3, 2009

can anyone tell me what nurses do with their stethoscopes?

allnurses Guide · May 3, 2009

Is that a trick question?

ermen · May 3, 2009

nope, i sincerely wish to know what nurses use with their stethoscopes.

Silverdragon102, BSN · May 3, 2009

What do you think a stethoscope is used for???????

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · May 3, 2009

can anyone tell me what nurses do with their stethoscopes?

You've asked this question in at least two threads thus far. I think I can read your subtext, but I'd rather have you explain what you think nurses do with their stethoscopes so that we can assess your knowledge deficit.

I'm just a GN, but I use mine to auscultate all over and occasionally as a reflex hammer.

ermen · May 3, 2009

You've asked this question in at least two threads thus far. I think I can read your subtext, but I'd rather have you explain what you think nurses do with their stethoscopes so that we can assess your knowledge deficit.
I'm just a GN, but I use mine to auscultate all over and occasionally as a reflex hammer.

As far as I can tell from my experience as a med student in Hong Kong, our nurses don't use stethoscopes at all so I was curious why they would want to buy one. The closest tasks they perform that require one is blood pressure taking, though in all of our hospitals they are now automated with electronic ones. I understand that the electronic sphygs could be inaccurate so it seems reasonable for a nurse to have a steth to use the mercury sphygs, but a $5 toy one would do the trick.

Please do not misunderstand my question - I was not insinuating what you referred to as a 'subtext' - but as a doctor-to-be in possession of a humble litmann classic ii these posts make me wonder how deeply american/uk nurses get involved in making diagnoses. In our system if a GP catches a murmur he'd refer him to the cardiologist who'd probably confirm his findings with his better steth (maybe a cardiology iii but certainly not an electronic one - they get laughed at using one) and diagnose with an echo. Lung, bowel and liver sounds are audible with a basic model like mine.

If you use a steth as a tendon hammer the electronic models wouldn't be your cup of tea as they probably break easily. And I hope you don't wear it when you assess reflexes... :bugeyes:

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · May 3, 2009

As far as I can tell from my experience as a med student in Hong Kong, our nurses don't use stethoscopes at all so I was curious why they would want to buy one. The closest tasks they perform that require one is blood pressure taking, though in all of our hospitals they are now automated with electronic ones. I understand that the electronic sphygs could be inaccurate so it seems reasonable for a nurse to have a steth to use the mercury sphygs, but a $5 toy one would do the trick.
Please do not misunderstand my question - I was not insinuating what you referred to as a 'subtext' - but as a doctor-to-be in possession of a humble litmann classic ii these posts make me wonder how deeply american/uk nurses get involved in making diagnoses. In our system if a GP catches a murmur he'd refer him to the cardiologist who'd probably confirm his findings with his better steth (maybe a cardiology iii but certainly not an electronic one - they get laughed at using one) and diagnose with an echo. Lung, bowel and liver sounds are audible with a basic model like mine.
If you use a steth as a tendon hammer the electronic models wouldn't be your cup of tea as they probably break easily. And I hope you don't wear it when you assess reflexes...

I am not aware of the scope of practice for nurses in Hong Kong, but in the U.S. we are taught auscultation in nursing school as part of the basic physical exam. It is considered standard to auscultate heart including gallops/murmurs/rubs, lungs, and bowels for nurses in acute care settings.

In my ICU you'll see nurses auscultating for carotid bruits on certain patients. I was even taught how to grade murmurs, though, in reality, this is rarely done by nurses. If a murmur was heard that was not previously known to the patient, it is expected the nurse would document its presence and notify the appropriate physician/practitioner, who then may order further diagnostic tests such as an echo.

I apologize for reading into your question. There are many people-- even within the medical profession-- that do not understand the role or scope of nursing.

I don't have an electronic scope-- I honestly forget the model of mine. It was given as a gift and it works for my purposes.

edit: Looking at litmann's catalog, I think it's a Master Cardiology.

ermen · May 3, 2009

I am not aware of the scope of practice for nurses in Hong Kong, but in the U.S. we are taught auscultation in nursing school as part of the basic physical exam. It is considered standard to auscultate heart including gallops/murmurs/rubs, lungs, and bowels for nurses in acute care settings.
In my ICU you'll see nurses auscultating for carotid bruits on certain patients. I was even taught how to grade murmurs, though, in reality, this is rarely done by nurses. If a murmur was heard that was not previously known to the patient, it is expected the nurse would document its presence and notify the appropriate physician/practitioner, who then may order further diagnostic tests such as an echo.
I apologize for reading into your question. There are many people-- even within the medical profession-- that do not understand the role or scope of nursing.
I don't have an electronic scope-- I honestly forget the model of mine. It was given as a gift and it works for my purposes.
edit: Looking at litmann's catalog, I think it's a Master Cardiology.

Thanks for your reply. Are all nurses in the states degree holders then? Is it a postgraduate degree like an MD? In my university we have a four year Bachelor of Nursing degree that is registrable at the nursing council. There is also another 3-year fast track course offered by some non-university 'nursing schools', but their graduates can only work under a limited registration (and thus receive a lower salary, etc.) Pharmacists go through a 3-year BPh degree; dentists, 5 year BDSs, and doctors 5-year BMBSs

The reason I'm asking all this (and in fact, the reason I'm registered with this forum in the first place) is because my homework included a research on healthcare education and practice differences between different parts of the world and I thought it'd be better if I had someone to talk to.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · May 3, 2009

Thanks for your reply. Are all nurses in the states degree holders then? Is it a postgraduate degree like an MD? In my university we have a four year Bachelor of Nursing degree that is registrable at the nursing council. There is also another 3-year fast track course offered by some non-university 'nursing schools', but their graduates can only work under a limited registration (and thus receive a lower salary, etc.) Pharmacists go through a 3-year BPh degree; dentists, 5 year BDSs, and doctors 5-year BMBSs
The reason I'm asking all this (and in fact, the reason I'm registered with this forum in the first place) is because my homework included a research on healthcare education and practice differences between different parts of the world and I thought it'd be better if I had someone to talk to.

There are two main degrees to become a registered nurse in the U.S.: An associates degree, which is a "two year" degree (in actuality, it takes 3.5 years, minimum, due to prerequisites), and a bachelor of nursing, which is 4-year. There are other pathways available-- a few diploma schools still exist. There are also accelerated bachelors for those with a previous degree in another field, and even a few accelerated masters (in which BSN requirements are satisfied en route).