Trouble Hearing with Stethoscope

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Jan 3, 2017

Litman light weight has due to it make up has acoustic losses, cheaper alloy, smaller of tubing

the higher end stethoscopes with thicker tubing heavier chest piece, as sprague rapport, litmanan cardiology, master cardiology, and tygos (may be called wel Allen now) as in proctor Harvey dual and triple head work great for me..... Ear attachment size is also very important....

hopefully you you can go to medical supply, uniform store and actually try some out "live"

best wishes

JessicaSkeen89 · Jan 3, 2017

Thank you for your help. I wish I could, our local uniform/supply stores do not carry them, I would have to order them. Im hoping the Cardio Stethoscopes will amplify loud enough just because I do not like cost of the electronic ones.

morte, LPN, LVN · Jan 3, 2017

make sure that you are using it correctly, and position the arm optimally (for blood pressures), lung sounds can be trickier. I would start saving up for the electronic if you intend on staying in nursing. It is tax deductable, "right off the top", needed do to disability.

Buyer beware, BSN · Jan 10, 2017

Litman light weight has due to it make up has acoustic losses, cheaper alloy, smaller of tubing
the higher end stethoscopes with thicker tubing heavier chest piece, as sprague rapport, litmanan cardiology, master cardiology, and tygos (may be called wel Allen now) as in proctor Harvey dual and triple head work great for me..... Ear attachment size is also very important....
hopefully you you can go to medical supply, uniform store and actually try some out "live"
best wishes

As a person with a pretty profound hearing disability I'm often in denial and do not wear my hearing aids. But I want the world to know that when I do I can hear the rustling of leaves in the trees and just that sound is so beautiful.

So take it from me (too much rock and roll as a kid) and guard your hearing like the precious thing that it is.

And thank you posters for your kind advice at the risk, I hope not, of me being off topic.

lindseylpn · Jan 10, 2017

Also, if your stethoscope has a tunable head then you'll hear different sounds depending on how much pressure you apply. I've seen people when not able to hear something apply more pressure but, could probably hear things better if they applied less pressure instead.

Msmith43 · Feb 3, 2017

I have a very similar problem. I came on here to ask and then saw this post. I'm in 2nd semester of nursing school. Currently using a lightweight 2 SE that was given to me. It's a little used and beat up, but hey it was free to start with. As far as I know I don't have any significant hearing loss. I'll admit it's probably not great though. But with some patients (usually on the heavy side), I have a hard time hearing apical pulse and lung sounds. I can hear my fingers creak if they move ever so slightly holding the bell side, and it's not turned to the wrong side. That sound really makes it harder. I think it's due to the plastic/resin material the lightweight headpiece is made of. I mentioned my troubles to my clinical instructor and one of her suggestions was to get a cardiology stethoscope. I'm wondering now if a cardiology would be overkill for nursing and if I'd be fine with a classic III. It seems to me that's what a lot of the staff nurses use at the hospital and It's mostly docs with the cardiologys. I don't to be the weirdo using a fancy higher end steth than is maybe necessary, but I also don't want to have any doubt that I'm hearing everything good.

dimitra · Mar 7, 2017

I would also favor an electronic stethoscope. It doesn't need to have fancy bluetooth capabilities and what not. All you would need is for it to provide some basic signal filtering (to simulate the bell and diaphragm). The sound amplification can be so high that your ears hurt! Which is great for fade body sounds obviously

jaderook01, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2017

I have a very similar problem. I came on here to ask and then saw this post. I'm in 2nd semester of nursing school. Currently using a lightweight 2 SE that was given to me. It's a little used and beat up, but hey it was free to start with. As far as I know I don't have any significant hearing loss. I'll admit it's probably not great though. But with some patients (usually on the heavy side), I have a hard time hearing apical pulse and lung sounds. I can hear my fingers creak if they move ever so slightly holding the bell side, and it's not turned to the wrong side. That sound really makes it harder. I think it's due to the plastic/resin material the lightweight headpiece is made of. I mentioned my troubles to my clinical instructor and one of her suggestions was to get a cardiology stethoscope. I'm wondering now if a cardiology would be overkill for nursing and if I'd be fine with a classic III. It seems to me that's what a lot of the staff nurses use at the hospital and It's mostly docs with the cardiologys. I don't to be the weirdo using a fancy higher end steth than is maybe necessary, but I also don't want to have any doubt that I'm hearing everything good.

I use my stethoscope more than the majority of doctors I have personally seen. I have a Littmann Cardiology III and I need it to hear. Some doctors shouldn't even bother to have any kind of stethoscope as they only feign use of it. I've seen that farce and it doesn't wash or sit well with me. I know for a fact that quite a few doctors rely on the nursing assessments instead of doing their own.

I'm not trying to disparage doctors here- just those I have personally witnessed pulling shenanigans- and only them.

I do an actual assessment on my patients when I go in their rooms. I don't fake it. I chart what I see/hear/palpate. I need my stethoscope. I need one I can actually hear out of. The end.

So- buy whatever kind of stethoscope you think you need in order to hear well. Forget what people may think. They likely won't care or pay attention (unless they're looking to steal it).