Nurses sound off! Steth belt clip or around the neck?

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How do you carry your stethoscope?

Do you keep it around your neck, tucked in your pocket or do you have the belt clip?

Do you even keep it with you?

Or do you use the (shudder) public, staff use steths?

Also, what kind do you have and what color?

I have a Littmann Cardiology III in Plum. (Thank god it was a dark plum.)

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
There is a Male Nurse I work with who wears his on a clip hanging right in the middle of the front of his pants. It swings to and fro all day long. I thought of getting one until I was exposed to him wearing his that way on a daily basis. Just looks wrong.

:eek:

Is he, um, compensating for something?

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

Carry a Littmann Classic SE in bright orange as I fly on a helicopter and its easy to spot if I leave it lying around.

Usually carry it in my tactical 'medic' vest that I wear when working on the helicopter, then in my pocket on my scrub pants when working in the Trauma unit/ ED.

How many of you who wear that stethoscope around your neck remember to decontaminate it after you have used it on a patient ?? Can you say MRSA or VRE. Watch your colleagues next time you are on shift and see whether they clean theirs before hanging it around their necks .

A question that I have. Is a stethoscope a "sign" of a Registered Nurse? Some people seem to wear it to designate that. LOL

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, Med-Surg.

I use either a cleaning wipe (provided by my facility) or our alcohol habd foam after EVERY patient.

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The clip pulls my pants down.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

That's why I always wear either Landau 7-pocket cargo pants that have belt loops or Aviators with a built in belt. That way I can carry my steth, the med room keys, scissors, billforld, flashlight, Leatherman, cell phone, and a partridge in a pear tree with out having to constanly hitch up my pants.

Thank you!! I will have to check those out!

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Here's an (expensive) alternative to the plastic clip (looks really good):

http://www.batclip.com/

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Specializes in Mother Baby & pre-hospital EMS.

I keep mine around my neck now, although sometimes it causes neck strain. I did go through a short period of time when I carried it on a belt clip, but sometimes when I stood up (from sitting down), it would fall off. And then I would have to sanitize the whole thing, because that's how I am. I also used to carry it around in my pocket, but the ear pieces would sometimes get caught on things, and it would take up space in my pocket that could be used for other things.

We use the disposable/cheaper stethoscopes for the isolation rooms (they are stocked by Central Supply), and I always wipe the ear pieces with an EtOH wipe before I use them.

I have a Littmann Classic II S.E., and it is in Caribbean Blue. Love it!

ETA: Mine would get caught in my hair, too. For this reason, I recently had it trimmed. That way when I put my hair in a ponytail, it would not be under my stethoscope.

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That's why I always wear either Landau 7-pocket cargo pants that have belt loops or Aviators with a built in belt. That way I can carry my steth, the med room keys, scissors, billforld, flashlight, Leatherman, cell phone, and a partridge in a pear tree with out having to constanly hitch up my pants.

I have so much stuff in my pockets!

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I can't stand wearing my stethoscope around my neck or in my pocket. Sure, for morning assessments it fine but after that I put it at my area in the nurses station. I'll just go grab it when I need it. How can you leave it hanging around your neck for 12 hours? I feel like it gets in the way when I'm doing my 10000 hours of paper charting. lol

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Specializes in LTC, Subacute Rehab.

It stays within reach unless I'm using it. Carrying a Littmann Cardiology III around the neck is just asking for tweaked trapezius muscles.

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Specializes in pediatrics.

I usually have mine around my neck initially. After my assessments I leave it at one of the nurse's stations until I need it again. I can't where that or my badge around my neck for too long as it causes me pain and headaches. The public ones I only use for isol pts.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I have a Lithman Cardiology III. Works for mommies and babies. I keep it around my neck. I know, not a good idea because of the oils in our skin; but I rather not set it down (it as almost $200.00) and I know if I had one of the stethoscope belts I probably would.

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