Nurse holding a stethoscope

A stethoscope is a vital tool for medical professionals, without it, you won’t be able to make accurate measurements.

As a nurse or student nurse, choosing the right stethoscope can be daunting, as there are a wide variety of options on the market. As a nurse, a stethoscope has 2 main functions, auscultation and blood pressure management. Considering the area or department where you are working when choosing can help to choose the best stethoscope for your needs. The most important thing is to invest in a decent stethoscope that offers good sound quality.

To help you find the right stethoscope, we’ve put together a useful guide including the best stethoscope for:
Blood pressure measurement
Paediatric nurses
Adult & paediatric nurses
Nursing students
Cardiology nurses
ICU nurses
Hearing impaired nurses
All round stethoscope for nurses

Best Stethoscopes for Blood Pressure Measurement

If you’ll be mainly be using your stethoscope for blood pressure measurement, we recommend the ADC Adscope Lite 619 Lightweight Clinician Stethoscope.

A picture containing stethoscopes of bright colours.

The 619 from ADC is an ultra-lightweight stethoscope with a non-chill bell and diaphragm retaining rim for patient comfort featuring AFD technology to enhance acoustic response; use light pressure for low frequencies, firm pressure for high frequencies. The ADC Adscope Lite 619 Lightweight Clinician Stethoscope is a cost-effective stethoscope for nurses who will mainly be using their stethoscope for blood pressure measurements.

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Best Stethoscope for Paediatric Nurses

If you’re a paediatric nurse and after something to entertain your smaller patients, the ADC Adscope 618 ADIMALS Paediatric Stethoscope is ideal for you. This unique stethoscope includes seven interchangeable snap-on animal faces including Panda, Koala, Monkey, Bear, Frog, Deer, and Tiger designs.

A person wearing a paediatric stethoscope around the neck.

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Best Stethoscope for Adult & Paediatric Nurses

Working with both adult and paediatric patients doesn’t mean you need 2 stethoscopes. A stethoscope such as the Littmann Classic III is ideal in these scenarios as it gives you the flexibility you’ll need when doing general physical assessments with a variety of patients. The Paediatric side converts to a traditional open bell by replacing the single-piece diaphragm with a non-chill rim. Plus, with over 15 colours to choose from you’ll be sure to find one that suits your style.

blue stethoscope on chest

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Best stethoscope for Nursing Students

A high-quality stethoscope is important in helping nursing students learn all the new sounds of the body.

Stethoscope around neck on red shirt

We recommend the ADC Adscope 608 Convertible Clinician Stethoscope, giving you high quality sound a fraction of the price of the competition. The ADC Adscope 608 is the newest, most versatile model in the ADC Clinician Series. This ADC stethoscope is designed to withstand thousands of cycles, featuring a double-leaf tensioning spring and a reinforced yoke, molded into flexible 22-inch PVC tubing. The convertible chestpiece provides adult diaphragm-bell or adult-paediatric diaphragm configurations.

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Best stethoscope for Cardiology Nurses

If you’re a Cardiology Nurse, you need a high quality, accurate stethoscope that you can rely on day in, day out. The ADC Adscope 601 Cardiology Stethoscope is engineered for performance, comfort and versatility.

Black stethoscope on Nurses neck

The extra-deep bell has been designed for low-frequency response and the ultra-sensitive gasketed diaphragms with AFD technology create greater amplification. This lightweight stethoscope weighs only 215g with the adult bell on, making it ideal for a long shift on the wards.

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Best stethoscope for ICU nurses

A reliable, hard-wearing stethoscope is critical for correctly diagnosing and treating patients. We recommend the Littmann Cardiology IV Stethoscope for nurses working in the Intensive Care Unit and taking care of the most critical and vulnerable patients.

A close-up of a stethoscope

This top of the range stethoscope has been designed for clinicians who require outstanding acoustic performance combined with exceptional versatility. This stethoscope has been engineered to help you perceive the barely perceptible. The sounds that can tell you more about a patient’s condition.

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Best stethoscope for Hearing Impaired Nurses

For nurses that have mild hearing loss who do not wear hearing aids or those who choose to remove their hearing aids during stethoscope use, the best solution is an amplified stethoscope.

The Littmann Lightweight II SE Nursing Stethoscope is a high-quality, reliable device developed for robust acoustic performance with a double-sided chest piece for viewing adult and paediatric sounds. Since double-sided chest pieces are generally used my most medical and nursing students, this stethoscope easily meets the requirements for most medical schools.

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Best all round stethoscope for Nurses

If you are looking for reasonably priced stethoscope without sacrificing on quality, The ADC Adscope 603 Acoustic Clinician Stethoscope is one of our most popular stethoscopes, balancing outstanding acoustic performance with rugged durability.

A stethoscope next to a red case

The ADC Adscope 603 Acoustic Clinician Stethoscope features an all stainless steel construction, ensuring a lifetime of use. The clinician headset has designed to withstand thousands of cycles, giving you peace of mind on the job. With 30 colours to choose from, you’ll be sure to find the colour for you!

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Stethoscope Engraving

After finding the best stethoscope that works for you, you may want to consider engraving your name on the tool to avoid any mix-ups when working with other medical professionals.

Visit our Custom Laser Engraving Shop to learn more.

Still need help finding the right stethoscope?

Give us a call on 01952 56 56 56 and we will be happy to help you find the right stethoscope for your needs.

Alternatively, browse our extensive range of stethoscope here including market-leading brands ADC and Littmann.

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