For those of us who like to sling our stethoscopes around our neck to give that impression of superior acumen, and ninja readiness, there is one drawback. Ian Miller, nurse and blogger extraordinaire, gives us his tips for stethoscope longevity.
If you do not have a collar (ie you are wearing scrubs) the stethoscope tubing tends to perish quite quickly due to constant exposure to the sweat and natural skin oils on the back of your neck.
It only takes a few months before your expensive guessing-tubes may begin to lose their flexibility, becoming hard and eventually cracking.
One solution is to purchase one of the many varieties of elasticised material protectors.
A second solution that is far more in accordance with your inherent ninja ingenuity is to make one yourself:
Step 1.
Find an old piece of suction tubing that is laying around just waiting to be recycled (preferably not a used suction tubing).
Step 2.
Cut off a section, say around 18cm ( depending on your stethoscope tubing length).
Slice a line down the entire length of the tubing on the inner aspect of its natural curve.
Step 3.
Open up the cut you just made and press over your stethoscope tubing.
Step 4.
Done!
Rest easy with the confidence that your tubing will now resist the most sweat-filled, oily skinned situations, far outlasting your jealous co-workers.
impactEDnurse is also known as Ian Miller, a nurse with over 29 years experience working as a nurse in Canberra, Australia. You can read more of Ian's stories at The Nurse Path.
