Poll: Stethoscope color affect professionalism?

Sue/Mike · December 2011

A strange question, yes. But H bought me a wonderful new steth for XMas and wants me to choose a color.

My SIL (who is a cardiac nurse) says definitely black, since that's what everyone has. I currently have neon orange, a gift from my father, and no one ever tries to take it. I'm thinking about plum, but am now worried that if I get a RN job in the hospital rather than long term care, the color of my steth may affect how others perceive me.

[Poll]

Dr.Loretta · December 2011

IMO it depends on the pt population to an extent. I'd expect something more colorful from a peds nurse vs a dermatology nurse vs an ER nurse

onceuponadisaster · December 2011

I always feel more comfortable with a practitioner with a fun scope (color/animal cover/etc). It makes you seem more personal and less like just another nameless face.

dramaz · December 2011

As long as you're nice to me and I have the impression that you're competent, your stehoscope can be rainbow for all I care! And the plum doesn't look too over the top, better than anything neon TBH.

kbkenn · December 2011

I wouldn't really care and honestly, don't really notice. As long as you're nice and seem like you know what you're doing. I do think how you said you never lose the orange one your dad gave you might be a good reason to get a color. I am sure many people have black, so it's easy for someone else to pick it up thinking it is theirs.

JJwritergirl · December 2011

I actually prefer colors. It shows the nurse or doctor has personality.

Photo5kCupcakes · December 2011

I agree with PP. I don't usually notice. But after waiting for an hour or so in a waiting room I think the only thing I may notice is the fact that I'm now in a room. Plum sounds like a nice color.

And no one will want to take either of them. It will also make you easier to refer back to by a patient if they observe your stethoscope but don't get your name.

fuzzylogic · December 2011

You mean you can't get a tie-dye or plaid stethoscope? Because I would totally dig that if I were the patient. It would make you seem like you have a personality. I can't stand hospital staff that act like robots.

Have a black one around if you need it, but have some fun if you can!

jzaz903 · December 2011

Photo5kCupcakes:
I agree with PP. I don't usually notice. But after waiting for an hour or so in a waiting room I think the only thing I may notice is the fact that I'm now in a room. Plum sounds like a nice color.

And no one will want to take either of them. It will also make you easier to refer back to by a patient if they observe your stethoscope but don't get your name.

this.

i'm not likely to remember my nurse's name, but i'll remember "the blonde one" or "the one with the orange stethoscope" much beter

NinjaPaants · December 2011

I rarely see nurses with black stethoscopes in the hospital. I agree with the others that it shows personality. I have a turquoise one and I also have stethoscope covers that go over it so I can change up the color if I want.

MadamePresident · December 2011

Get a fun one!

Sunidaze · December 2011

I've worked in a few hospitals the last ten years and have seen so many different personalities working in the medical field. i definitely think you should go for the different colors. It more likely than not will brighten a patient's day...at a time when they could really use that brightening.

GreenEire · December 2011

I worked in a hospital for eight years and saw a wide array of steth colors. A lot of nurses put those cloth wrap things around their steths, and those even had cartoon characters and such on them. That was pretty much the only way the nurses could stand out at all since we were all required to wear certain colored scrubs depending on what department we worked in.

OCNewlywed · December 2011

JJwritergirl:
I actually prefer colors. It shows the nurse or doctor has personality.

This!

ChileRellanos · December 2011

I don't think there's a single nurse on my floor that has a black stethoscope. Mine is hot pink, fwiw, and several of the female docs grab mine when they make rounds.

chi-wine-lady · December 2011

It really shouldn't matter, but folks will judge you nonetheless. I have the same feeling about women in business and weird girly cell phone cover colors (e.g. pink, blingy). It just doesn't look professional to me but I try not to judge. I made this comment to my DH and he just got me a blue cell phone cover for Xmas

But I guess I am more sensitive because I look really young for my age.

dirtyred · January 2012

I had a hot pink stethoscope for 15 years for the same reasonyou have an orange one. Less likely to be stolen, and easy to describe if you happen to leave it somewhere.

kathy5780 · January 2012

Get whatever color you like. As an RN, I tend to judge people more for using really cheap, junky stethoscopes or for using one that is dirty or broken/missing parts. Black or generic looking stethoscopes are more likely to get stolen.

Poll: Stethoscope color affect professionalism?

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