Thermometers and stethoscopes--any opinions?

[Scooter321]

I've just finished my first week of orientation in HH, some in-office work, some shadowing. I was wondering what you guys thought of two things:

an electronic stethoscope (I'm VERY tempted but they're not cheap).

an aural thermometer? Or are the temporal ones better? We are given the standard oral thermometers, but they can be a pain and take forever, either oral or axillary.

Thanks for any opinions you'd care to share. :)

[KateRN1]

I use disposable thermometers and a Littman stethoscope. I see no need for an electronic steth unless you have some serious hearing problems. I've had every manner of thermometers known to man and I like the disposables. No germ transfer, no batteries to replace, no probe covers to run out of, and they work.

[paradiseboundRN]

I have a temporal thermometer that you wipe across the forehead. It has anti microbial silver on the tip although I still wipe it with alcohol. Works great but reads higher like a rectal because the reading is coming from the temporal artery. I suddenly lost a lot of hearing about a year ago And tried an amplifying stethoscope but it didn't work. I ended up having ear surgery and at solved the problem.

[ritaann]

how do you know when the disposable thermometers are finished reading a temperature? I mean, does it beep? Or do you just wait about 50 seconds? thanks.

[KittyLovinRN]

Ritann - we use the disposables also, I usually wait 30-45 seconds. What I do is pop it in their mouth and then go for the blood pressure/heart rate, by the time I'm done with those the temp is ready!