Stethescope?

Hey all.... Just wondering how much use will we get out of our own stethescope? Will we use our own all the time or will we have to use the ones in hospitals etc?? Is it worth getting a decent one or just a cheap one?

Only asking as my dad has said he will buy me a 'good' one.... looking at the littman as they are supposed to be good. I dont mind him paying the £50+ for it if im going to get lots of use out of it over the next few years?

How's everyone else going about it?

i have never used my own one. sometimes use my mentor's (although it depends on what your mentor uses -as a first year she made me use a manual sphyg but this year i am 'allowed' to use an electronic one)

you'll only need it for BP measurements i'd imagine. i'm not sure if some of the third years get given a manual sphyg to do BPs at home (then i'd be likely to take my own stethoscope) or if we get an electronic one/do it in the clinics...

sorry not much help am i!

Go for it!
I use mine all the time when on community placements also use it on postnatal ward for obs on babies
Littmanns are great I did have a cheap stethoscope off a website and I struggled so much with B/P got a littmann suddenly all became clear lol now I can use any old stethoscope but it defiantly helped me at first. I also picked up a heart murmur on a baby that a paed had missed, all because of my trusty littmann.

I would recommend you get one of this type http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal/3M/en_GB/Littmann-Gallery/stethoscope/classic-II/se/

I was going to buy my own but only for hygiene purposes as I regularly get ear infections in the cold weather.

I'm an MCA, and bought my own steth as I could never find one!!

I dis-like electronic BP machines, as I often find the reading's dodgy, so used to re-check, realising after a while that it was twice the work, so I do it manually most of the time now. (Accept for post-section obs, as they are done so often it is usually ok to keep the cuff on wuth a dinamap).

I too suffer with an ear problem so just prefer my own. I bought a steth and spyg set for around £30. Both of which work well.

I have bought a cheap steth and sphyg as we were told by uni that we aren't able to use our own on placement x

I thought it was on the sphyg that couldn't be used as it needs to be calibrated, the steth should be ok.

millie8, your probably right about it only being the sphyg x x

I love mine and use it all the time. Plus the ear infection thing was a serious urrghhh for me lol x

I bought my own steth and sphyg combined for £9.99 off eBay... The steth is really clear as well so im massively impressed..