My awesome Master Cardiology stethoscope which i LOVE totally got stolen or accidentally thrown out today at work...either someone took it or I think it might have gotten mixed in with dirty linens or garbage and thrown out
I looked around for over 6 hours in a million rooms on my unit and could not find it...nor can I remember where I had it when I put it down.
If it doesn't show up at work soon I guess I will have to buy another one....I am thinking of buying another MC or maybe even the Cardiology III which is slightly cheaper and apparently is still good
I have actually chased a steth around the neck of a doc to the door of the hospital.:omy:She almost made it out of the building with it. That is the problem with spending big money on high quality steth, sooner or later it will walk away.
I was walking outside, checking on things around the property, walked around the barn and found it, halfway buried in dried mud.
I could have thrown a fit and jumped all over the children, but it was too late to do any good now. I didn't tell my husband about it for that reason. I just kept quiet about it, but at the same time I was like...EEEEKKKK!!!!
I'm using the old sprague I bought when I took my CNA class over 11 yrs. ago. Too bad the kids didn't find that one to play with first!
3m could recondition it for about 40 dollars......
My Littman was left in the home when my belongings were placed in my car when I got carted off to the hospital. I've contacted my former employer several times to return my scope. They refuse to do so. I finally decided to contact the patient's family directly since the employer refuses to deal with the problem, other than to tell me they don't have my scope. I mean, really, where could it have gone, except to the person who got my job?
i can't tell you how many scissors i have bought over the years, at least if you lose a stethascope you have a chance of seeing around someones neck but scissors hide in someones pocket until they are at home and say 'gee, where did those scissors come from
i have lost some stethoscopes also...at one point i used one of the flimsey things that comes with a isolation room..couldn't pay anyone to take it away
That's why I never buy more stethoscope than I need. That cool $300. littman is a lot more tempting target for attendings, residents, and other nurses than a cheap $19 sprague. Even if they only ment to borrow it for a minute it can end up in a pocket with no idea where it came from- I myself have walked off with someone elses ears a couple of times.. If all I am doing is checking for gross changes in lung sounds and taking VS the sprague works just fine. As far as "cool" colors- I buy the ugliest colored steth I can find. If it's ugly enough no one wants to be seen with it, and a bile green or hot pink stethoscope is easy to spot two units away it it does walk off.
I had a red littman for 2 1/2 years and one day it also walked away.
But I bought a cheap one on ebay and works just fine for the job I do.
Mostly lung sounds, bowels sounds.
The cool thing about the new one is it is pink striped and no one has one like it. 99% of our docs are men and it looks real funny around their necks.
There was once a doc on call had to come to the floor and check out a pt after a fall. He walked in with my stethescope and I giggled. I told him pink stipes were his style. I did not think he would take it but the fact it was so obvious around his neck helps alot.
Funny note: A fellow nurse describes her stethescope as stinky. She cleaned it with something and has an onion smell to it now. She says it helps keep it from getting stolen.
I had a doctor take off with my $15 stethoscope one time. He did bring it back later, but never asked if he could use it. Perhaps someone took it by accident? Hopefully it will turn up. It's surprising how many times I have had a doctor ask to use MY stethoscope when they can afford something much better.
Wish you luck..I know they are not cheap.
ETA: I liked the idea about getting a pink one..no self respecting doc would take off with that...or would he/she? LOL
oramar
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I have actually chased a steth around the neck of a doc to the door of the hospital.:omy:She almost made it out of the building with it. That is the problem with spending big money on high quality steth, sooner or later it will walk away.