What type of stethoscope should I purchase for school?

Biffbradford · Apr 21, 2013

I'll be starting nursing school soon and I'm pretty unfamiliar with the stuff I need to buy or where to even begin. I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what brand/type of stethoscope should I maybe purchase as a student (or even for the long run)? Are there places online that sell these equipment for cheaper that I should look into? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Depends on what your budget is. I think you'll be able to hear all you need to hear with a cheaper model. Is the NG tube in the stomach or not? Are the lungs wet? Wheezy? Diminished? or maybe no sound at all?

http://www.allheart.com/rappaport-stethoscopes/c/1261/

I would suggest a $15 to $20 Sprague Rappaport would be fine. A real expensive scope has a bigger chance of growing legs and 'walking off' which happens all too often.

Got money to burn? Go with a Littman Classic II S.E. for $72 but be sure you get a name tag for it and *don't leave it lay about!*.

http://www.allheart.com/all-littmann/c/1184/

The fave' in our cardiac ICU is the Littman Cardiology III for $150, but for that arena it's a good investment and if you forget to take it home at night, 99% of the time it's still there the next day.

Good luck!

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Apr 21, 2013

My school gave us a list of suggested stethoscopes that all had good sound quality. I went with the Littmann Master Classic II - it was on the list for my school's recommendations. It was a bit of an investment (~$115 or so). But I've had it for 5+ years now and it still works great (so the investment, over 5 years has been less than $20/year). It still works, and has great sound quality. I only had someone try to "walk off" with my stethoscope maybe a handful of times, ever, and that is easily fixed by pocketing your scope, or by wearing it. The name tag also helps.

beeker · Apr 21, 2013

My school gave us a choice of 3. Don't buy a really nice one r it will walk away. I also recommend getting a lightweight one. Mine was Littman lightweight, around 40 bucks. After school I invested in a nice cardiology stethoscope and it was too heavy ( gave me sore neck) and I got tired of chasing down drs who kept " accidentally" forgetting to give it back. Nice ones get stolen. Funky colors are it easier to hang on to and are harder to steal. men rarely steal bright pink ones. Get it engraved and put a nametag on it. So now I still use my Littman lightweight. I do wish I had 2 .

Now that I think about it, it is mostly Drs and Pas that steal them. Occasionally float staff, but very rarely on my floor do nurses steal from each other although lunches and food are a whole separate issue.

KittyLovinRN · Apr 21, 2013

I have a Littmann Classic II but also chose bright orange, less likely to disappear!! I've had mine for 7 years and still going strong!

OCNRN63, RN · Apr 21, 2013

I would buy a very basic Littman; that's what my school recommended 1,000 years ago when I was a student. It will be more than sufficient for hearing heart/breath sounds. Wait until you're working and have a little $$$ to burn to get the expensive models. I got a Master Cardiology that lasted me 17y; it developed a small crack at the rim. It still works fine with a little patch of tape, but I bought another scope to replace it.

JS88 · Apr 21, 2013

Thanks for the recommendations, I will definitely be looking into all the ones you suggested since school is only 1 month away! Also, thanks for tipping me off about putting my name on it!

stephanie. · Apr 21, 2013

[quote name=

Now that I think about it, it is mostly Drs and Pas that steal them. Occasionally float staff, but very rarely on my floor do nurses steal from each other although lunches and food are a whole separate issue.[/quote]

You would think they of all people would have their own.

jchilds · Apr 21, 2013

My school sold us kits for $40 that included one. I would get one in the$20 range and a penlight and scissors. I wouldn't get a super nice Littman because: a. It might get stolen, and b. you may decide you don't want to continue and your stuck with an expensive stethoscope; though I hope the latter doesn't happen.

I also think getting a good cheaper one will make you work more to assess your heart, lung, and abdominal sounds. When you get a good one later you will appreciate what you've been missing.

Good luck to you!

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Apr 21, 2013

I would personally invest in a Littmann Classic II S.E. rather than buying a cheap Sprague or other $20 stethoscope that you'll probably have to replace a lot sooner than the Littmann.

I purchased a Littman Classic II S.E. for nursing school and a lot of my other classmates also went with that option. It's great for students and nurses. I've had it for 5 years and it still works great and use it as a backup because I upgraded to the Cardiology III. The Cardiology III is better but more expensive. It's good for the type of nursing I do and it also includes a pediatric side which is nice. I've had the Cardiology III for 3 years, no problems.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2013

It's kind of like buying shoes...you can buy the $35 pair of running shoes that ALMOST fit, but they will hurt your feet and you will end up buying another pair because you can't stand the thought of blisters on your feet. OR you can invest in a quality pair of running shoes that fit your feet well and will last you for a few years.

I went for the Card III because of the above rationale. Oh, and I am pretty hard of hearing (too many concerts), so I wanted the best steth I could get.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 22, 2013

I would personally invest in a Littmann Classic II S.E. rather than buying a cheap Sprague or other $20 stethoscope that you'll probably have to replace a lot sooner than the Littmann.
I purchased a Littman Classic II S.E. for nursing school and a lot of my other classmates also went with that option. It's great for students and nurses. I've had it for 5 years and it still works great and use it as a backup because I upgraded to the Cardiology III. The Cardiology III is better but more expensive. It's good for the type of nursing I do and it also includes a pediatric side which is nice. I've had the Cardiology III for 3 years, no problems.

I had a Classic II S.E. for a long time... and lost it. I've also had a lightweight version that I've had since about 2001 or so, and a Cardiology III from about the same time. My lightweight is my backup and it performs quite well for a stethoscope that's in the $40 range. My Cardiology III goes with me everywhere I go that I'm going to need a stethoscope and if I lend it out, I make sure it comes back before the other person leaves the bedside. While I don't need a high dollar unit, it's a very nice upgrade, but I can do just fine with a $12-$20 cheap model.