Stethoscope.. Help choosing one.

Nursing Students General Students

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Hello all, I start my first class this summer semester...Health assessment. Then officially start my BSN program in Aug.

I need help deciding what kind and brand of stethoscope to buy. Thanks!

I would get a cheap one for school because you need to be able to learn how to work with what you've got and purchasing a super expensive electronic steth for school might make hearing things easier buuut one day you might be an RN on shift and the battery runs flat or you left your fancy steth at home and you struggle using the plastic ones supplied on the floor you work..

I would stick with cheap whilst in school then maybe reward myself with a nice littmann as a graduate present :)

Can't go wrong with a classic II, it works for nurse Jackie

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I got a MDF md one stethoscope that was about $65 or so, then I purchased a $16 prestige medical clinical lite. Long story short, I like the 16 dollar one a lot better. *shakes head*

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Thank you everyone for the responses... Appreciate you!

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I hated both Littmann I have used. They fell apart in no time, replacement pqrts cost almost as much as a new one, and they provided no better functionality than my $15. "Sprag". I bought for my first semester. Whatever you decide- get the ugliest color you can find. You would be surprised how many attendings "borrow" the best stethoscope they can find on the unit and it never seems to find it's way back to the owner. A bright purple one with a green flowered cover will ensure your ears will be there when you want them. Trust me- a patient ID bracelet with your name on it isn't going to do the job of keeping your ears out of someone elses pocket.

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Specializes in ED.

I bought a Littmann cardiology III a year after I started my first nursing job. Stethoscopes last a long time so I'd buy what you really want now instead of wasting more money down the line. As far as theft goes, I got my name engraved on it so good luck stealing it.

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I have an Adscope - someone recommended it in another stethoscope thread and it was within my budget for nursing school and I think it has served me well in clinical. You will feel like the outsider though cause everyone will have a Littman in your class. And of course there will be someone whose stethoscope goes missing during clinical.

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Littman classic II around $80. It wirks well and I would get another one. Don't worry about a nicer one unless you get hired onto a cardiac unit. Then it's worth $150 or more. With that said, I still have my $10 stethoscope from my nursing school kit and it's my backup in case I forget mine at home. I like to be able to hear without struggling though, soI've stuck with the classic II since the beginning of nursing school.

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I have a Littmann Master Classic II and love it.

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Specializes in Public Health Nurse.

Well, I can tell you that one I really, really want....is the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3100, but it is expensive :bag:

My classmate that works in the ER has one, and she loves it, she hears everything, and some units can be quite noisy.

Hopefully, I will be able to collect enough gift cards one day to get one LOL....

So there are stethoscopes, and then they are STETHOSCOPES...some say it is too much for a nurse, but as one nurse stated on one of her youtube videos, this allowed her to hear those faint sounds that actually allowed her to be proactive in some interventions that avoided the patient to decompensate or allow the patient to get to that point.

As a student I do not recommend you buy a very expensive one.

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Well, I can tell you that one I really, really want....is the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3100, but it is expensive :bag:

My classmate that works in the ER has one, and she loves it, she hears everything, and some units can be quite noisy.

Hopefully, I will be able to collect enough gift cards one day to get one LOL....

So there are stethoscopes, and then they are STETHOSCOPES...some say it is too much for a nurse, but as one nurse stated on one of her youtube videos, this allowed her to hear those faint sounds that actually allowed her to be proactive in some interventions that avoided the patient to decompensate or allow the patient to get to that point.

As a student I do not recommend you buy a very expensive one.

Nursenacole

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