When did wearing a stethoscope become popular

Nursing Students General Students

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I have heard the wearing a stethoscope around your neck damages the tubing because of the oils in your skin. So when did wearing a stethoscope around the neck become popular? I know as nursing students we all do it because we want everyone to know were in nursing school and we think it looks cool. I see some nurses wearing their's around their neck and some just leave it somewhere.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Y'know I did notice when I went to school (at a school that taught other medical vocations) that the MA's would wear their scopes around their necks all day long when none of the nursing students did. Of course we were all colored coded via scrubs so it's not like they needed to advertise. Oh well.

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You are so right Jennifer! The thread is weird! More weird would be if we talked about the nurses caps we used to have to wash and starch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So glad we don't do THAT anymore!

Ooohhhh, a nurse cap! That just what I need to complete my ensemble:

That's why I always keep the penlight behind my ear. And I carry a sphygnomanometer and cuff on my arm. I also tape a box of gloves to my butt.

Along with my fanny pack, they make me the most fashion forward girl in town.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Ooohhhh, a nurse cap! That just what I need to complete my ensemble:

Where do you wear your meal tray stocked with sandwiches and juice boxes for patient satisfaction.

Though pretty soon they'll have figured out how to just beam the heart and lung sounds directly into our ears.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Where do you wear your meal tray stocked with sandwiches and juice boxes for patient satisfaction.

She has a special Carmen Miranda fruit-hat style nurse cap with spaces to stash everything she needs. The trick is to learn to balance that thing without a cup of jello cubes landing on somebody's overbed table or . . .God forbid. Their visiting family member, unless they were the one that nagged her to death for the jello cubes.

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Where do you wear your meal tray stocked with sandwiches and juice boxes for patient satisfaction.
Nursel nailed it above!
Though pretty soon they'll have figured out how to just beam the heart and lung sounds directly into our ears.

I used to work with a nurse that was so lazy, we'd joke that for her assessments she'd sit at the desk and call into the room over the call light system and have them hold their call light to their chest. How AWESOME would that be? We could telecommute, just have a little robot go into the room for us to administer medications. We could just appear on their tv screen with patient education, to answer questions. The family could flip a switch if they speak Spanish for instant interpreting.

But then what would be my excuse for dressing fashionably with my steth around my neck?

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Goes in my left cargo pocket when I dont use it for awhile. Goes around my neck directly after pt contact or if doing multiple admissions quickly. Its more about availabilty to me so it goes where I can get it. People like their things at different spots. Just ask any nurse about where they keep their shears/pens/tape etc and you will get a myriad of answers.

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Specializes in trying to figure it out.

No! The dang MD's always want to borrow mine on rounds, grrrrr @ that. His ear wax and patients germs UGH. He certainly didn't clean it between pt's. I got to where I hid mine b4 Doc came in and said "ohhh sorry doc I forgot mine today, don't know where it is etc. He would grumble for a minute and go find a disposable one. :w00t:

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.

I don't wear mine around my neck. I don't cover it either due to risk of spreading germs. I lay mine down somewhere safe. Most my patients have their own.

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I don't wear it for a fashion statement. I wear it around my neck because this seems to be the most convenient. If I put it in my pocket, it takes up too much space in there and does tend to fall out! By having it around my neck, I'm always ready to make assessments.

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I try putting mine in my pocket after initial assessments, as it hurts my neck/head/shoulders. But then it's always getting caught on things, especially doorknobs. Which is great when I'm trying to sneak in and out of the rooms at night without waking anyone...

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i tend to think that it's usually worn around the neck for convenience sake. Keeps it handy, keeps the docs from swiping them too. It does crack me up when people display them unnecessarily though (i.e. walking up from the lot... keeping it around one's neck after work while walking through the supermarket, hanging from rearview mirror just to name a few). Reminds me of when a friend of mine was going through emt school and carried gloves every where and would don them randomly because he thought he looked really cool and prepared that way (his words!):lol2:

Since i don't really use mine all day long like i used to on the floor, i just hang mine on a hook behind my desk. Granted, no doctors around to clip my littman any more in a school health office

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do doctors wear stethoscopes around their neck because they think they look cool? ok, neither do we. lol.

we wear 'em 'cuz we use 'em. d'oh!

Trying to remember the last time I saw an MD actually HAVE a stethoscope, and not ask to borrow MINE, lol...

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