Why is it the highest paid among us...

Published

can never bring their own *%$# stethoscope when they round on their patients?

Specializes in nursing education.

Reminds me of the time I had to hunt my bandage scissors down after lending it to a doc, and then my NM got irritated when she heard me ask for the second time. Really? I bought it, I keep it handy, and I don't lose it.

Taught me to say, "no, I don't have one."

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i got a ride from our hospitalist one day ( the department was going out for a field trip to another facility) and noticed about a dozen stethoscopes on the floor in the back. "what are all those doing there?" sez i. "i borrowed them from the nurses and didn't give them back," sez he. and he throws them in the back of his van at the end of the day, and gets a new one tomorrow. he thought it was hilarious that i cared.

i took them all and tried to get them returned. scum.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

first of all, i must say that not all doctors are this inconsiderate, i know of several doctors that prefer to bring their own steth to work. at this level, this is the reason some of of them, make more money they just depend on us nurses to provide their accoutrements :cool:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Offering a different perspective--I'm the H.O. covering a busy surgical service. I have patients in 3 different buildings, the pacu, occasionally the ED. I have a coat with pockets that's full of my phone, pen/highlighter/sharpie, folder carrying about 15 pages of patient info, shears, sometimes dressing supplies (if there are a lot to change and I have a pt on a medicine or cards floor where there is a paucity of surgical supplies). I have a penlight attached to my ID around my neck. My pager is on my hip. I hope i have my chapstick, business cards, and a compact snack of some kind. I had a clip for my stethescope which I sadly lost. Then I promptly lost my steth :(

It was expensive and I'm in mourning. That being said, the clip worked ok but it pinched my hip sometimes. In my pocket my steth would get caught on everything, frequently. Around my neck could be ok sometimes, but would get stuck on my penlight and sometimes just feel heavy and uncomfortable. Also, I developed a rash after putting it on too quickly after using cleaner on it, which I do many times a day.

I have to say, while I miss my stethescope and plan to replace it, it's always nice when a nurse lends me one. Most of the nurses I work with seem to have no problem with this (I think...?) and I'll be honest, I'm surprised to see how much this is frowned upon by you guys. It really doesn't seem like a big deal and it helps me evaluate a patient quicker.

Granted, I don't listen to all of my patients' lungs/heart every day. Usually I do when they are postop, and always with status change.

And if there is status change I want a good listen, and those crappy tinker toys are only helpful on anatomically average people with no pathology (most of the time). And nurses usually have nicer stethescopes. I usually clean them off, will say if I don't, and will always return.

But now I feel like a dweeb, especially if the nurses are really hating me under their breath (though this I doubt since most seem to be pretty good at expressing hatred to my face--when I deserve it)...

Any thoughts?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursing education.

Any thoughts?

Yes. If I know you will give it back right away, then you can borrow my stuff. You sound patient-centered so the nurses probably don't mind when you borrow theirs, for a little while, and make sure they get it back quickly.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

One day in pre-op we needed a quick H&P done on a patient, so I called in the hospitalist. He arrived as dishevelled as ever without a scope. Seeing mine hanging out of my pocket, he asked to borrow it. Now, I have always gotten along well with Dr. X and we needed this patient prepped ASAP, so I handed him my scope. He accepted it and stated (quite seriously), "Well, it's not very good but, it will do". My rejoinder; " You mean that engraved Littmann I paid $120 for?". He replied, " Well,.... it...should...be...ok, then." I never saw him without a stethoscope after that, although he did avoid making eye contact with me for a while.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.

The doctors asking to borrow my stethoscope never bothered me as much as reading the surgeons' notes that included a full assessment of heart and lung sounds when NONE OF THEM carried stethoscopes. Ever.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Any thoughts?

Let me google that for you

Really, it will take all of 5 minutes to go online and order a new one, and then you have your own.

You think my neck doesn't hurt from carrying mine around? It doesn't get stuck in my pocket if I put it there?

For the occasional person that forgot theirs, that's one thing. I'm a team player. BUT YOU KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ONE and are continuing to go without.

How many days do you think *I* could get away with not owning a stethoscope? What if the only nurse around had theirs stolen a few hours before, how are you going to assess your patient then?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Edited my previous post, see that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Forensic Psych.

You just blew my mind.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU.

I'm going to top the ear infection, go with otic syphilis.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion