Turing on a stethoscope

or try putting the stethescope in your ears from the opposite way, you may not have the opening lined up with your ear canal.

Try these things and let me know how they work for you.

i did that and got scared that i was deaf when i got my steth for nursing school. dork that i am had them in my ears the wrong way.

Ok, I'll try that. The earpieces are angled. Which is the correct way?

^the earpieces need to be pointing forward (to me it looked like the backwards way to put them in)

Your nursing school needs a kick in the pants if they don't even tell you which way to wear a stethoscope, IMO. Ask an instructor to watch you before you spend all that money- it could be a very simple thing.

I am wierd I guess, but I wear mine with the earpieces angled towards the back... can't hear a darned thing with them angled forwards. I have strangely shaped ears though - can't wear those earbud headphone thingies... they never stay put. I just find that the earpieces fit much better into my ears when angled "backwards" than when they are "forwards." Try both ways. BTW, I have an adscope too, and I LOVE it... I can hear really well with it.

Thank you for the replys, but what is this about turning the scope on? i mean I never heard of that. Can anyone clear this up for me?

Thank you for the replys, but what is this about turning the scope on? i mean I never heard of that. Can anyone clear this up for me?

there is a bell and a diaphram. Some stethescopes use the same side for both. The diaphram has a thin cover over it, the bell is empty. At the base of the tubing you can turn the head of the stethescope so it is either listening through the bell or diaphram. You can tell by tapping the diaphram...if you hear the tap, the diaphram is on. You might also want to make sure that you have earpieces that are not hard..there are soft ones that will form to your ear so they are comfy and drown out outside noise. I am a huge fan of the lithman (sp.)

I agree, though, your nursing school really needs a kick in hiney for not giving you all of this info when they introduced BP's.

Got to tell you a scary story. When I was working in LTC and we did vitals, I was having trouble hearing one little ol' ladies BP, and the other NAs said: "just guess, we have to do that with alot of them, it is the only way to get them done!"

When I said, no, I don't do that, they just rolled their eyes. Then the nurse would ask me :Why does it take you longer than the other NAs to get your vitals?....hmmm, wonder why.....

just another zany crazy day in long term care....

One more thing...make sure you are listening in the right place. before you do the BP you might want to try palpating the pulse in the AC. Where you feel it is where you should place your stethescope. I generally find it to be more medial (with the palms facing forward.) Press the head firm against the skin and make sure there is nothing moving against the tubing (it can cause extra noise.) OK, Hope this helps!!!!!!!!