As we’re sure you might already know, a stethoscope is an important medical instrument that is typically used for mainly diagnostic reasons.
While all healthcare specialists should know how to correctly use a stethoscope, believe it or not, wondering how to wear a stethoscope correctly is often a point of confusion for many healthcare professionals!
By making sure that you know how to wear a stethoscope correctly, you will help to make sure that you will be able to appear professional and make a great first impression on your patients, while also being able to ensure comfortability while you are wearing it.
Along with this, wearing a stethoscope correctly will also ensure maximum performance.
The only question is, how do you wear a stethoscope, exactly? If you’re currently wondering how a stethoscope should be worn, then rest assured that you have come to the right place.
In this guide, we are going to be showing you how you can wear your stethoscope correctly and comfortably.
So, whenever you’re ready, just read on to discover more.
What Is The Purpose Of A Stethoscope?
Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to wear a stethoscope correctly, we first think that it would be pretty helpful to briefly outline what a stethoscope is, as well as what its main purpose is.
Knowing exactly what a stethoscope is and what it does will help to ensure that you are then able to wear it correctly.
To cut a long story short, a stethoscope is essentially a type of medical instrument that is specifically used to be able to diagnose a variety of potential health conditions, and this is achieved by listening to the sounds of internal body organs via the stethoscope itself.
Along with this, stethoscopes are also used to perform general check-ups and to make sure that everything is as it should be, as well as to check the progress of patients who are undergoing treatment in the heart, lungs and surrounding areas.
Generally, when a stethoscope is used correctly, a doctor or physician should be able to both hear and interpret various sounds that they can hear via internal organs including the uterine, respiratory, cardiac, intestinal and abdominal organs.
Now that you have a better understanding of what a stethoscope is as well as what it is used for, let’s move on to our nxt section where we will be uncovering what the main purpose of a stethoscope is.
How To Wear A Stethoscope: Step-By-Step Instructions
Now that we have talked you through what a stethoscope is as well as explained its main components, let’s take a look at how you can wear it correctly by following our step-by-step guide:
Position It Correctly
First things first, you are going to want to begin by positioning the stethoscope correctly in front of you.
The diaphragm surface should always be facing you, and the binaural should always point away, as the ear canals tilt inwards towards the face.
Position The Earpieces Inside Your Ear Canals
Once you have positioned the body of the stethoscope correctly, you will then be ready to insert the ear pieces inside your ear canals.
To do this correctly, align both ear pieces to match the direction of your ear canals, and then gently insert them.
Ear pieces that have been inserted correctly should be able to block out all external sounds to ensure that you will be able to hear the internal organs of your patient optimally.
Keep in mind, stethoscopes tend to come with varying earpiece sizes, so you should test them out to find the right size for you.
Adjust The Earpiece Tension
After you have inserted the ear pieces and they are comfortable, you should then go ahead and adjust the earpiece tension on the stethoscope.
By making sure that you are adjusting the tension, you will be able to ensure that the ear pieces are optimally fitted inside your ear canals to ensure that you will be able to get the very best sound when being required to examine your patients.
To adjust the tension, simply squeeze or loosen the headset as required.
Rotate The Stem Of The Stethoscope
After you have finished adjusting the tension of the ear pieces, you will nearly be ready to begin using the stethoscope on your patient.
However, before you do that you will first need to make sure that you have rotated the stem of the stethoscope in order to use the diaphragm and the attached bell, too.
Hold The Stethoscope Correctly
Last but not least, the final thing that you will need to do before going ahead and using your stethoscope is to make sure that you are holding it correctly.
Even though there aren’t any set rules for how you should hold a stethoscope, we recommend that you consider holding the chest piece in your dominant hand, and apply a gentle pressure to prevent unwanted sounds from your fingertips.
You should firmly press the chest piece onto the patient’s skin to ensure a minimal sound barrier to the internal organs.
The Bottom Line
You’ve made it to the end! Now that you have stuck around and taken the time to read through our guide to stethoscopes above, we hope that we have been able to show you how you can go about correctly wearing one of your own.
Even though it can seem a little confusing at first, by making sure to follow the tips, tricks and guidance that we have shared with you in our guide above – you should find that you are able to easily wear your stethoscope comfortably for maximum performance, all while maintaining a presentable appearance and ensuring that the stethoscope stays in prime condition.
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide to wearing a stethoscope correctly! Goodbye for now.