Worried my Ultrascope is too "cute"

[DroogieRN]

Thought I'd ask for a little input --

I'd heard about Ultrascopes and really wanted one, so I ordered mine last summer, as a reward for getting to my last year of NS. I didn't use it this year in clinicals because I was afraid I'd lose it, etc. Now I'm weeks away from graduation and will probably be working on a telemetry floor at my local hospital. I am so excited but now when I look at my brand-new Ultrascope, I wonder if I might have designed a more conservative one for myself. I am a very "girly girl" who loves pink, etc., so mine has hot pink tubing and a green head covered with colorful flowers. It's beautiful to me but I wonder if it might be a mistake for a new grad who hopes to be taken seriously by my colleagues and trusted by my patients.

I'll be an older new nurse but don't want to look silly. Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[j_tay1981]

I wouldn't worry about it looking too cute - I have a cheap Prestige Sprague I got on eBay that is black with gold accents (I call it my pimp scope!). I get crap every time I take that thing to lab, but I hear great out of it.

I don't own an Ultrascope, but the owners on this forum really love 'em - if you fall into that category and can hear well from it, then it is a valid instrument that will help you make accurate assessments. If anybody has a problem with your scope, either let them try it and make them a convert, or ignore them. Stethoscopes are very personal, and if you and your Ultrascope make a good team, then great.

[steelcityrn, RN]

I would use it, what the heck. If you want, you can buy a cover for it also. Its the quality of them, not the color.

[kenyohunt1]

conversation piece......Ice breaker with pt and co workers.

[sphinx4]

I work on an IMC/Tele floor and have an ultrascope. Mine's lime green tubing with a multicolour design. I've never had anyone make any comments about it, honestly. Occasionally I have a patient comment that it brightened their day, or that it was "cheerful"/unique, but I"ve never had a comment that it was unprofessional. Also, I've noticed that they're gaining in popularity, and a LOT of the RTs at my hospital have them.

Also, everyone on the floor knows it's mine if I accidentally set it down somewhere because it's not a generic littmann :-P, and that is a definite perk of having a more customizable stethoscope.

[j_tay1981]

I already replied to this but:

I own a bright red MAXIscope that I really like. I used it the other day for lab and for a practicum on a medical dummy. I got chided a few times for having a 'Fisher Price' scope, but once people tried it out they realized it was a valid medical instrument that works well. Again, I think that the same would apply to your Ultrascope - let the naysayers try it and, if all accounts and anecdotes I've heard about Ultrascope are true, they will probably go home that very night and buy one for themselves :)

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

conversation piece......Ice breaker with pt and co workers.

Yep. I'm a student and all the nurses love mine.

[NGeorgia]

I ordered an ultrascope and got it today! Hologram w/lime green tubing.

[dream& achieve]

I have to agree with eveyone here...its a great ice breaker, and pt's always need something to take their mind off of being there. This are just the frostings on the cupcakes..the important thing to remember is the quality of the scope..it cant be beat, and your pt's deserve the best!

[fsv1024]

But are ultracopes really good stethescopes? I'm a new grad and am in the market to buy one. I know nothing about which to get! However, I was hoping to get one that would be easy to spot if it did get lost :)

[Shirt]

I hear things better through an Ultrascope than I do with a Littmann but everything won't work for everyone it's just like shoe shopping imo

[Michigan]

It's much better to have a very "unique" peice of equipment. Much more difficult to "walk off on it's own." I "lost" many plain black, red, blue ones.