What Are The Different Types of Stethoscopes you may use with our Nurse Scrubs Nairobi attires?

So firstly, which model of stethoscope do you need?

There is no hard and fast rule, but I suggest you do not need anything particularly fancy for medical school. It is just something that will let you listen to the chest, heart sounds, lung fields, bowel sounds, etc. It should allow you to show that you can do so during your medical school exams because that’s what everything ultimately comes down to.

Along with simply having a stethoscope, at some point, you need to learn how to use it properly, where to place it on the chest, and what sorts of things you might be listening for, whether that is a wheeze, extra heart sounds, or bruits. This means, in practice, that you need something pretty basic for all intents and purposes, with the obvious caveat that, ideally, you want to buy as few stethoscopes as possible. You want something that will continue to be of the standard, quality, and usefulness once you become a doctor so that you can take it into practice.

Therefore, it needs to be good enough to pick up those diagnostic signs in a clinical setting, not simply for your exams but also when examining patients as a nurse. It needs to be able to pick up those signs in the real world because you will use them to help diagnose patients. This is true to some extent when you are a clinical years medical student, particularly as you move toward finals.

This means that cheaping and immediately going for something ultra-cheap that will not reliably allow you to do what you want is probably not the best way forward. Investing in something with at least some degree of quality is probably a good idea.

Lightweight stethoscope

A lightweight stethoscope is the lightest and cheapest one.Then there is the classic, the routine everyone uses: the Littmann Classic stethoscope.

There is also the Littmann Cardiology stethoscope, the Master Cardiology stethoscope, and the Littmann Cardiology IV stethoscope.

So, what is the difference between these stethoscopes?

As you know, the lightweight stethoscope has different parts: it has a chest piece, tubing, air tubing, and earbuds. This is the lightest. If you compare all four of these in terms of weight, it is probably around 120 or 130 grams, per the product information. However, who should use this stethoscope? You can see its diaphragm, and its chest piece is almost a teardrop shape. It is designed so that the front part of the stethoscope slides underneath the blood pressure cuff.

So, it is ideally recommended that physicians or nurse practitioners measure blood pressure and do a basic physical exam, maybe recording gross abnormalities of cardiac or breath sounds. However, this is the basic version recommended for junior doctors or nurse practitioners to record blood pressure and do basic physical examinations.

Its diaphragm is designed as a teardrop to fit underneath a blood pressure cuff. It also has a bell on one side and a tunable diaphragm on the other. You can use the diaphragm or the bell to listen to different frequencies of sounds and perform a basic physical examination with this.

Litmus Classic III

So, with all this in mind, I normally recommend a Littmann Classic II or III. These are the standard stethoscopes that 90% of people have. They can usually be brand new for between 80 and 100 pounds, depending on where you shop.

This is the one that you see everyone walking around with around their neck, and these are considered more than competent for a few particular reasons.

Firstly, the diaphragm on this bell part is removable so that adults can listen to different sounds. Usually, it has a pediatric diaphragm for children. You do not listen to children very often as a nurse, so they recommend taking the diaphragm off. You have just got the open bell, which is helpful.

The part you place onto the patient’s chest has a tunable diaphragm. Applying pressure to it changes the frequency response, so you can listen for more potential sounds at more frequencies by applying slight pressure changes to the diaphragm.

Lastly, just a couple of good practice points: it is latex-free, so it will not set off anyone’s allergies that they do not know about yet, and it is very easy to wipe and clean between patients, which is something that you should always remember to do particularly at the moment.

However, suppose you are looking for something more budget-friendly, and that is okay. Something closer to the 50-pound mark than from the research I have been able to do. In that case, the MDF MD1 or the Littmann Lightweight series, which have slightly different-looking diaphragms, seem to be good, reputable choices.

MDF MD1

Many of you will have noticed that you can also go much more expensive if you discuss things like the Littmann Cardiology 4 or the Electronic 3200 series stethoscope. You are then more in the realm of 2 to 300 pounds. While these are very excellent stethoscopes in the hands of specialists who know how to use them, they might be a bit overkill for nursing school. Firstly, you will not listen to patients complex enough to warrant the extra technology. Also, as a medical student, you might not have the skill set to use them properly. It might be better to wait until you are in something like anesthetics, ITU, cardiology, or specific specialty training before investing in them to benefit from your tools at the right time.

Some nursing schools are hesitant about allowing electronic stethoscopes in exams. Just like taking a calculator that can store functions in your maths exams, medical schools can be strict about it.

The only other thing that people often ask about is colors and engraving. Can you have a light blue stethoscope or engrave your name on it? Of course, you can. Stethoscopes seem to be one of those expressive things that you can personalize, like wearing brightly colored patterned socks as a doctor. You can have a jazzy stethoscope or a more subdued and edgy one.

For example, mine has all-black tubing and a smoked gunmetal finish for the metal parts because I liked that color scheme, matte black everything. It also has my name engraved, which I recommend in case it goes missing. In hospitals, stethoscopes are everywhere. They are lying around, and sometimes consultants, registrars, or juniors will ask to borrow yours if they need to listen to someone’s lung bases quickly.

Someone once asked if getting “Nr.” engraved on a stethoscope before qualifying is pretentious. It probably is presumptuous because it assumes that everyone makes it through medical school, which is not always true. However, there is also the counterargument that your family might do it as a means of encouragement, or you might do it yourself as motivation.

Design

Dual heads are the most popular. They have a bell and a diaphragm, which rotate around so you can use them. You will want to switch to your bell when listening to a pediatric patient. Whenever you are listening to heart sounds, you will want to listen with your diaphragm. Many people go with this option.

Another type that people choose is the single head. Some nurse practitioners also like it because it provides a clearer quality of sound for monitoring heart sounds.

This is especially important when working with heart patients, as you must listen carefully for any subtle changes in their heart sounds. One thing to note is that many single-head stethoscopes cannot hear a wide range of frequencies. However, Littmann has a single-head stethoscope with a tunable diaphragm that allows you to hear both low and high sounds.

What would I recommend between these two? I recommend the dual head if you are starting as a nursing student. This will help you familiarize yourself with the bell and the diaphragm, rotate it around, and position it properly.

Tubing

Next, let us talk about tubing.

You have single tubing, which is what this is, and double tubing, which is the Sprague design we discussed.

Single tubing tends to be the most popular. Some brands have single tubing but with a “two-in-one” design, meaning there’s another set of tubing inside. This is supposed to provide clearer acoustics so you can hear better.

Many people prefer this, so when buying a stethoscope, check the description many times. It will mention a “two-in-one design,” which can help with better sound quality.

Now, double tubing, the Sprague design, tends to be less expensive than single tubing. These used to be popular when they first came out, but they are not as common now. Some people still love them and say they can hear better with them.

Stethoscopes are one of the most central symbolic parts of the profession of medicine, so whatever you choose to put on yours, keep it sensible and professional. So, it forms part of your professional identity development. Treat it as such. It is a part of your professional identity. Look after it, keep it with you, do not lose it, keep it in good condition, and get something that suits you because, with any luck, you will probably have it for a long time.

I am comforted in the hospital, particularly in unknown situations, by having it around my neck because it reminds me that I got to where I am and that I am at least semi-competent. People trust me enough to examine patients and use my skills and judgment to listen to people, treat them properly, and reach some conclusion.

I know enough to do a basic assessment of people, and the stethoscope reminds us how far we have all come. So get something that you do not mind being with you.