Stethoscope recommendations

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I was wondering if any nurses out there had preferences on stethoscopes. I'm about to start nursing school and I don't know where to start with buying supplies; is the most expensive the best?

Any hints or tips would be great.

Thanks :)

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Welcome to AN! If you browse through the Nursing Scrubs/Uniforms/Gear forum, you can find threads such as "Best Stethoscope for Nursing Students" and reviews of various stethoscopes. I actually had 2 stethoscopes as a nursing student: a cheapo one that was available in the school's bookstore that ended up being absolutely useless for me (couldn't hear a darn thing with it) and a lower-end Littmann stethoscope that worked just great for me.

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Thank you for a link to the forum!

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Honestly, buy a cheap one. I bought my first one on Amazon for $2.99 and it sufficed just fine through nursing school. I later got a Littman for much more, but I couldn't notice much of a difference. Now I use a $15 cheap stethoscope with a dachshund on it that my boyfriend got me, and I think it works better than my Littman.

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Honestly, buy a cheap one. I bought my first one on Amazon for $2.99 and it sufficed just fine through nursing school. I later got a Littman for much more, but I couldn't notice much of a difference. Now I use a $15 cheap stethoscope with a dachshund on it that my boyfriend got me, and I think it works better than my Littman.

I love mt $15 dollar one. I was encouraged to start on a cheapo before I got a good one. I think it's better to learn with lower end. Where I work when someone is in isolation they use the crap stethoscopes and people who only use the very best have problems hearing.

Start cheap less than 20 dollars then move up later.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I agree with peoples' suggestions to start with an affordable stethoscope. Some good, low-priced brands include Sprague-Rappoport, Prestige, and Nurse Mates.

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I found the answer to this the first day of clinicals. I had no idea what I was buying so I went with a $20 (back in 2000) stethoscope in a uniform shop. The first thing that our instructor did was a head-to-toe assessment on a hospitalized patient with each student individually. We all had a different assignment. I went through the assessment but man, did we hear things differently. I went out and spent the money on a Littmann with my next pay check so that I would have an accurate assessment. She checked mine and then handed me her's. I felt a lot better knowing that I wasn't a complete idiot. Is the most expensive the best, not really. I have one that's $100 and a backup that's under $50, both are good enough to hear what what's there or in some cases, know for sure something is not there that should be.

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I really do love my Littmann. I've used the classic and the cardiology; both work great! I would say maybe going to a scrub store and trying out what they have on hand. Most stores will carry the Littmann classic, which is a great affordable stethoscope under $80.

If money is a bit tight or you don't want to spend so much on a stethoscope right now, most stethoscopes around $20 will work excellent. If you're having trouble hearing things, ask to borrow your instructor's stethoscope (if he/she is nice!). My instructor always had a really nice Littmann master cardiology that worked well. Just make sure to wipe it down before and after use with an alcohol wipe and return it right after use! During clinicals, I've actually had a few physicians ask to borrow my stethoscope and walk away with them. Nothing is more frustrating than hunting someone down that took your stethoscope! haha

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