Stethoscope Bling?

chorses4evr · Apr 12, 2015

Heathermaizey, thank you! I appreciate your support, good luck to you, too!!

jaycam, RN · Apr 12, 2015

Maybe you can get one of the charm bracelets they make so you can still wear the charms. Personally, I like them, but then again, I'm the person who likes printed scrubs and funny t-shirts. I'm getting one soon that says I.V. league. That said, part of nursing school is that we are here to become nurses and when things go south, they do so quickly. Your professors are likely to be very hard on you. I know many nurses who do not have censors and will utterly tell you exactly how they feel. These are the same nurses who are utterly sweet to their patients and care so much about them they want you to be on the ball. There's a lot of tough love in school. Sometimes as students,the best thing to do is to take a deep breath, listen to what they said, and pull the important information out. It's so much easier to change our own behavior than to try and change someone else.

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 12, 2015

Please note posts have either been removed/edited since the Admin redirect (post #44).

Please do not make this a one-on-one debate.

Thank you.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Apr 12, 2015

I'd forgo the charm. I just had an orienter with some on hers and kept telling me she heard a "wierd heart noise" and "I think I hear crackles". I never heard them. Then it dawned on me it was these things on her stethoscope. Until you learn all the sounds you are supposed to, leave them at home.

and our ID department put the stop to them. We can only have an ID tag on ours now, and it can't be near the patient, only at the top.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Apr 13, 2015

Where exactly are the charms placed? At the bell? On the tubing? it sounds like there are more than one type. At the bell or on the conductive tubing I can see it interfering with the ability to hear adventitious sounds or murmurs especially if a new nurse.

As far as infection control the ones linked above have protective properties added and are designed to be cleaned post use in a healthcare environment. However, in high risk areas such as oncology, NICU, PICU, nursery, SICU, BMT and similar units they would likely be discouraged. When I worked ER cloth covers (and anything other than a nameplate clip near the ear pieces) were banned from staff stethoscopes as they were formite havens after an incident of cross contamination of specimens.

Honestly such a meaningful, thoughtful gift from your family I would not be inclined to use it at school especially since there is a high risk of loss (whether borrowed intentionally or unintentionally by others). Perhaps a charm bracelet or shadow box might be a better choice at least at first.

Angeleyesss · Apr 21, 2015

I would keep any accessory to a minimum. When I'm in the hospital, I don't wear any rings or necklaces of have any extra "stuff" on me but my watch and pocket organizers. You just don't want to harbor any bacteria on extraneous surfaces and take them home with you :)

widi96 · Apr 24, 2015

I have charms on my stethoscope - I do like the cutesy stuff and it helps me differentiate my stethoscope from others. Mine is actually a floating charm bracelet that I tied around the intersection of the tubing. I have not once had a problem with hearing excess noise from the charms. And I have never had another nurse, administrator or patient say a negative thing about them - however, several patients have commented on liking it and several asked where I got it.

Bottom line - if you like it and your nursing school will allow it - go for it. And if the nursing school won't - hold onto them - nursing schools seem to be much stricter than many places of employment.

SummerChapman · Apr 25, 2015

I just received my acceptance letter yesterday also. It's an exciting new journey thats for sure.

Dranger · Apr 25, 2015

GrnTea, I think you're taking my post completely the wrong way. Like I said, the charm was a gift from my family and includes charms that have great meaning to me...therefore it is special to me personally, I am definitely not using it in hopes that my patients think I am better, that's just silly. I am a mature adult and I don't appreciate being told that I am acting like a middle schooler. I am taking nursing and my education completely seriously, wanting to use a simple charm on my stethoscope should not make anyone think otherwise. I suppose scrubs with patterns and brightly colored stethoscopes would bother you too, because they're too "cute"? I understand you must have quite a bit more experience in the nursing profession than I do, but I don't think that gives you any right to put me down for asking a simple question.

Let me know when you see an MD in "cute" scrubs or with scope bling...it never happens.

Personally I cringe when I see "cute" scrubs in the ICU, no matter how you spin it it's not professional. For pediatrics or oncology I can sympathize but something like a stethoscope charm adds insult to injury...

chorses4evr · Apr 25, 2015

I understand the importance of looking professional. You will never see me in scrubs covered in cartoon characters. However, a little charm or color doesn't hurt. Professional does not have to be synonymous to boring.

Julius Seizure · Apr 26, 2015

Why do you need to be a "cute" nurse? Do you think any sick person is going to see your little charm bracelet-equivalent (how middle school!) and think that you must be a better nurse because of it?

GrnTea I read your posts and comments all the time and I pretty much always think that you are right on point. You are a well respected commenter here for good reason.

This comment....I actually had to double check that it was really you posting it because I didn't think you were the type for this kind of snippiness. Its a shame, in my opinion, because I find you to be a really excellent contributor and very intelligent. I've learned a lot from comments that you have made in other threads! You made good points in this thread, too, about the potential for stethescope bling to affect your ability to hear clearly. That was a great thought. But the part I quoted above just seemed mean-spirited. Sad to see that.

chorses4evr · Apr 27, 2015

And here I thought compassion, hard work, and love of medicine were the qualifications to be a good nurse. Good thing I have you all to show me it's more about appearances, how naive of me! I only hope one day I can be as professional and charm-free as all of you.