stethoscope sliding around on neck

[Ele_123]

I usually keep my stethoscope in my scrub pocket, but lately I've been wearing it around my neck and it just keeps sliding around. There have been several times where I have caught it is falling off completely. Though it was a couple years ago, I don't remember my stethoscope from nursing school doing this. That stethoscope had thin/textured tubing. I'm looking for a higher quality stethoscope, but don't want to spend money for one just to slide around on my neck. I borrowed someone's Littmann Master Cardiology and loved the sound quality/volume, but it still slid around a lot. Anyone have any suggestions or know brands/stethoscopes that don't slide around?

[AJJKRN]

I think you're going to have better luck in how you wear it to keep it from sliding IMHO. Like placing the chest piece in one of the binaurals or in the V of a lanyard with your badge/keys attached.

[mikasa]

You could buy a stethoscope cover?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Wearing it around your neck is a good way for your skin oils to rapidly degrade the tubing

[Wuzzie]

You could buy a stethoscope cover?

Not allowed in many places. Total fomite.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

I have one a step down from the one you mentioned and I have the same problem with it slipping around. I have noticed over the years that my neck doesn't bother me as much on the days when I keep it in my lab jacket pocket (was required to do this when I went back to school for my RN clinical school and noticed the difference when I tried it at work). It's a bit of an inconvenience not carrying around my neck but has offered more personal comfort along with the piece of mind that it won't suddenly slide off and hit my patient in the head or something like that. Plus, with the occasional confused and/or combative patient the neck is the last place you want your scope hanging.

[candacern59217]

Yes it slides around. In fact the nicer the stethoscope, the heavier the chestpiece and the more likely it is to slide.

Typically I put it around my neck when I'm doing my shift assessments. Afterwards I take it off and leave it in the nurse's station. If I need it again, I just go grab it. Putting it in the pocket isn't a bad idea. I might try that... usually my pockets are full of flushes/scissors though

[Msmith43]

I would never leave it at the nurses station. I imagine that's the biggest cause of them "walking off".

[Will de Noble]

Hi,

CNA & Nursing Student here, I happened upon this solution myself, purely out of necessity, during one of several V/S X/C's on a MCU, and dealing with pt's grabbing and swatting at it. 

If you "clamp" the earpieces around one arm, then feed the length around your neck, like normal, but then tuck the head under your scrub top, and even your under scrub top if wearing, then it doesn't slide L & R nor is it tempting for a pt to ever grab it, even when you're "working close", and it's also more out of sight incase an MD or EMT (I work alot of MedSurg & ER shifts thru Agency) needs one in the moment and looks up/around to borrow one.