What kind of stethoscope should I get for nursing school?

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2011

I love my Littman but for whatever reason our school does make a big deal about using the cheapo..Not sure why except to make thinsg harder for us???? Don't know but I have bothn because I got one as a gift and let me tell you I personally find the Littman soooooo much easier to hear sounds with. I have never used my cheapo one except to distract my kids with when I am practicing skills with my good one:nurse:

Mandychelle79, ASN, RN · Apr 1, 2011

personally I went with a cheap one. Not so worried about it growing legs and walking away... and i got bright orange so I know it is mine

CuriousMe · Apr 1, 2011

I have a Littman Cardiology III and LOVE it!! I don't worry about it walking away for two reasons....I don't put it down, and I got my name engraved on it.

rebecca9341 · Apr 1, 2011

i also have a Littman Cardiology III and can hear just about everything, with any stethoscope you'll have to train yourself to block out any background noise the stethoscope doesn't minimize. I paid a good bit of money for it but i don't have to worry about it getting stolen either because its always on me, has my name engraved on it, and practically everybody in my program has a Littman.

Frazzled_One · Apr 1, 2011

Littman! That way you can hear those lung sounds! The Cardiology III is expensive but worth it. You will find yourself spending money several ways throughout nursing school anyway, why not go with a great investment! But yeah a Littman is great.....let's u hear as clear as day!

dp1200 · Apr 3, 2011

I have a Littman Master Cardiology, which I love. In the back of a noisy, bouncing ambulance, my aging ears need all the help they can get. I think it will be overkill for school, but since I already use it for work, I'll use it at school too.

myk_RN · Apr 4, 2011

I've had my Littman Classic II SE since nursing school. Been working for 4 years already.

pdrgeez · Apr 14, 2011

I got a Sprague in 1993 at the bookstore at UCLA. It is 20 years later and I still use it. I can hear lung sounds and arrhythmias with no problem - better than most stethoscopes I have borrowed over the years.

wannabecnl · Apr 22, 2011

We were told to buy the Littman II for $75, and I have been very disappointed with mine because I can't hear anything with the soft eartips--they sort of mush into my ears and close themselves up! I have the same trouble with ear bud-style headphones for iPods, in-ear monitors when singing, etc. So I use an Adscope with hard eartips that was lying around my unit and can hear everything just fine; I think that stethoscope retails for about $25. Wish I'd bought one like it the first time around; I'm going to try to sell my Littman if I can't get hard eartips for it.

If you have a chance to try some out before you buy, do it; you don't know how things are going to fit and sound until you try them.

tamadrummer · Apr 24, 2011

I got the Littman Master Cardiology from AllHeart.com

I am not in any way disappointed with it at all! I have my name engraved on both the chest piece and the bell. I also got the brass/black one so that mine is different from others. Most get the black/black and they look nice but there are too many of them out there to leave it to chance that it won't grow legs.

The sound is like listening to a machine when you listen to heart or lung sounds. The best purchase I have made yet.

Lissyann · Apr 27, 2011

I will be enrolling in nursing school this fall. The orientation packet I've received recommends "dual-head stethoscope with adult and pediatric size heads." It also states "double tubing provides better sound but is not required."

I've been looking online but can't find a stethoscope that includes all of the above. Does anyone have a recommendation where to find one? I'm also looking for a pen light and bandage scissors, would be nice to buy all from the same place. Thanks!