A tale of two stethoscopes...

At the beginning of class we paid $90.00 for something called a "Nursing Kit". In this kit were the following items:
* a sterile tray for dressing wounds retail value est. $10.00
* a catheter tray for catheterizing patients. retail $60.00
* a penlight and bandage scissors retail $5.00
* a BP cuff retail value $10.00
* a stethoscope......
(if you do the math the stethoscope cost about $5.00)

While some in my class have no problem whatsoever with the "TOYS R US" model stethoscope, my ears proved unable to use it. Thanks mom & dad for the gift of a real stethoscope. The difference in sound is probably comparable to a Bose wave radio and a crystal kit radio.

Below are some pictures for comparison (if you can't tell, the $90.oo stethoscope is the pearl-green one)
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The Littman diaphragm has a specially designed ,tunable sound-amplifying diaphragm.


Notice the difference in ear pieces..soft rubber vs. hard plastic. A mini megaphone is inside of the Littman ear piece.