Scope for nursing school - recommendations appreciated!

crdubs · Apr 15, 2010

sorry! i'm a noob! found this answer in earlier posts. if you still would like to suggest anything else please do so! :)

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Apr 22, 2010

I currently have a Classic II S.E. and I love it. It's great for nursing students, I think. I'm thinking about buying a Master Classic II are Cardiology III once I graduate.

ItsTheDude · Apr 25, 2010

stethoscopes are like most things, you can pay as much as you want. you will find in school, clinicals and work that everyone from nurses aides to docs use everything under the sun and they all work about the same.

j_tay1981 · Apr 30, 2010

I've got Littmanns, ADC's, MDF's, a MAXIscope, etc. I stupidly kept thinking that one brand of scope would be 'the one'. Like the above poster stated, most scopes work about the same. I saw a doctor on my med-surg floor this afternoon using a cheap disposable scope. Personally, I say go with something that fits comfortably in your ears and that you can hear out of. I like my MDF 767x, and feel I hear as well out of it as my Littmann MC II, plus its more comfortable in my ears. That's me though. Others out there may hate the way my MDF fits in their ears, and will only use a Littmann (or whatever).

Try before you buy, and do your research. Since you're just beginning, avoid shelling out tons of cash for a scope (but don't go too cheap either). Get something that's middle-of-the-road, comfortable, and that works well for YOU. I would also suggest getting one with a diaphragm and a bell (this helps with the detection of bruits and murmurs). So much of stethoscope usage comes from training yourself to hear what's normal and abnormal.

Good luck!

silas2642 · May 1, 2010

Hi all, I am getting ready to start nursing school (18 month program) and will need a stethoscope. I have been looking at the littmann classic II s.e. and the littmann cardiology III so far. Should I spring for the cardiology III or would it be a waste of money? Any other suggestions are also apprecited! Thanks!

I think that it depends on a number of factors including what kind of investment you want to make (if I remember correctly the Master Cardiology III is quite bit more expensive than the classic II SE), what scope you can hear well with, and if you're going to be willing to upgrade or not in the future.

I disagree with the poster who said that the scope doesn't matter-- for people who are just starting out and don't know what they're listening to, it does matter. The seasoned cardiologist can probably hear a grade I murmur using a Fisher Price stethoscope, for students it's harder.

I definitely suggest trying before you buy: don't go on to allheart.com and buy based on what you've heard alone. If you're looking for a good scope, then you want one with both a bell and a diaphragm (or bell/diaphragm function), one that fits well into your ears with a good seal that's comfortable for you. And of course you need to be able to be able to hear well with it.

If you live near a medical equipment store, then go and try some out-- listen to your heart and lung sounds and then go from there.