What type of stethoscope should I purchase for school?

[JS88]

I'll be starting nursing school soon and I'm pretty unfamiliar with the stuff I need to buy or where to even begin. I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what brand/type of stethoscope should I maybe purchase as a student (or even for the long run)? Are there places online that sell these equipment for cheaper that I should look into? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I can't believe that people try to steal each other's stethoscopes. Wth?! Thanks for the info... I am in the process of looking at them now, as well.

I really think, most times, it's not intentional. So and so (PA, NP, resident, attending - whatever) comes to your unit, needs to do their own assessment - and "borrow" from someone, but for whatever reason, the borrowed stethoscope doesn't make it back to it's rightful owner immediately (or, sometimes, ever). Or, your forget to put your stethoscope up (or take it home from clinical), and someone (equally needy - see above) borrows, but forgets to return because rightful owner is nowhere around to ask where it ran off to.

I only loaned my stethoscope out once when I worked the floor. One of our neurologists needed one to borrow during rounds (I'd completed my assessments already). She used it and promptly found me to return it to me. She also added that she loved the stethoscope I had, and within a week or two had replaced her stethoscope with one similar to mine (different color). Most other times, if asked, I had a tendency to direct unprepared residents/NPs/PAs/attendings to a handy dandy "isolation" stethoscope - the cheapy poorly made ones.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I'd had so many patients with COPD with breath sounds so quiet I can barely hear them that before the end of nursing school I bought a Master Cardiology. It is great. It is not a night and day difference to the regular Littmans (sounds are not going to deafen you or anything), but there was a patient who I could not hear before I bought the stethoscope and who I COULD hear, barely, afterwards. It literally made the difference between hearing a patient and not. I love my Master Cardiology... it never leaves my neck. I even bought a sleeve for it so my skin oils wouldn't do damage to the tubing. I plan on keeping it a long time!

[leighTX]

I have a Littman Classic SE II, as do most of my classmates. I've never been afraid of it growing legs, but that might be different in the hospital working as a nurse. Mine was about $80, but I bought it from MediSave (I think) and they did engraving of my name on the diaphragm. So that makes it harder to steal.

My friend has worked as an LVN for years and still uses her Littman. They are a good investment - good quality and will last you a good long while.