A stethoscope can help a nurse practitioner form a diagnosis and guide critical decision-making. It is essential to have a high-quality stethoscope as a medical professional that you can use in nurse practitioner school and continue to use after you graduate.
A stethoscope has three main parts. First is the chest piece that is placed on the patient’s body and amplifies sound. The chest piece can have two separate parts: a diaphragm and a bell.
The diaphragm is more commonly used and transmits high-frequency sounds, such as lung or bowel sounds. Whereas a bell transmits low frequency sounds, such as certain heart murmurs or carotid bruits. By switching between these two sides, healthcare professionals can effectively listen to and diagnose various medical conditions.
The second part of the stethoscope is the long flexible tube that carries the sound from the patient to the earpieces. The earpieces then transmit the amplified sounds to the listener’s ears.
Stethoscopes play an important part in a nurse practitioner’s role. While you may already have a stethoscope, consider upgrading to a new one. A wide variety of stethoscope brands and models can suit your specific specialty or skill level. Here are our recommendations:
- 3M™ Littmann®
- ADC
- MDF
3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital
The most advanced Littmann stethoscope, with digital technology, Eko software, 40x amplification, and noise cancellation.
3M™ Littmann® Master Cardiology
The highest quality Littman acoustic stethoscope with a tunable diaphragm that lets clinicians hear different frequency sounds by simply adjusting the pressure on the chestpiece, unlike the two sided bell/diaphragm models.
3M™ Littmann® Cardiology IV
An upgrade from the Cardiology III stethoscope with a 40% larger chestpiece and 60% deeper bell. This is a great stethoscope when working in critical care or challenging environments such as the ED, ICU, Cardiac ICU, step-down unit and other dynamic locations.
3M™ Littmann® Classic III
This stethoscope is designed for both adult and pediatric patients in non-critical care environments, such as a medical office, general ward, OB/GYN, ambulatory clinic, or urgent care. It comes in a wide selection of colors.
3M™ Littmann® Lightweight II S.E.
The lightest weight Littman adult stethoscope, only 118 grams! This an entry-level stethoscope, useful for obtaining vital signs, such as blood pressure.
3M™ Littmann® Classic II Pediatric
This stethoscope has a dual-sided chestpiece with a small 3.3cm diaphragm, which is ideal for pediatric patients.
3M™ Littmann® Classic II Infant
Similar to the pediatric stethoscope but with an even smaller dual-sided chestpiece diaphragm of just 2.7cm for the smallest infant patients.
ADC ADSCOPE 600 Cardiology
A cardiology stethoscope with adjustable frequency design (AFD) technology to enhance acoustic performance using a one-sided chest piece, light pressure for low frequencies, and firm pressures for high frequencies.
ADC ADSCOPE 615 Platinum
This stethoscope also uses AFD technology with a one-sided chest piece and is designed for ergonomic comfort.
ADC ADSCOPE 604 Pediatric
This Stethoscope is made for pediatric care, with a non-chill diaphragm and a large bell for crisp sound transmission.
ADC ADSCOPE 605 Infant
This stethoscope is designed for the smallest infant patients and made from stainless steel, with a 7/8” bell and 1 1/8” diaphragm.
MDF ProCardial Cardiology Titanium, Limited Edition
This cardiology stethoscope was designed for both performance with lightweight titanium and also aesthetics, including 20 different color options. It has a rotating stem with a dual-head diaphragm and bell. It has the ability to convert to pediatric and neonatal stethoscope with additional attachments (sold separately).
MDF ProCardial Cardiology Stainless Steel
This stethoscope is constructed from stainless steel with an extra deep diaphragm and bell to maximize performance. It is also convertible to pediatric and neonatal versions with additional attachments.
MDF Acoustica Lightweight
This is an all-purpose lightweight stethoscope with acoustic integrity and clarity for accurate auscultation in various medical settings.
MDF ProCardial Cardiology with Pediatric and Neonatal Attachments
This stethoscope is the ProCardial Cardiology Titanium stethoscope that includes both pediatric and neonatal bell/diaphragm attachments.
MDF Pediatric and Neonatal Attachments
The additional attachments that can convert the ProCardial Titanium Stethoscope into pediatric and neonatal versions.
Don’t forget to check out the other helpful articles on this website!
- How to Prepare for NP School While Still in College
- How to Prepare for NP School- Advice From Current Students
- The Top 9 Things Most Nurses Don’t Know When Applying to NP School
- A Detailed Guide to the Nurse Practitioner School Interview
- Can You Go to NP School Right After BSN With No Experience?
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.