Nearly half of the infant crib deaths and two-thirds of bassinet deaths reported to CPSC each year are suffocations caused by pillows, thick quilts and/or overcrowding in the babyâs sleeping space. The safest place for a baby to sleep is in a safe crib.
Competently utilising a stethoscope in clinical practice is one such skill. A fundamental ability to use a stethoscope comes with many nursing roles ranging from respiratory nurse specialist and outreach roles to intensive care nursing, A&E nursing and when practising in operating theatres.
Choose a stethoscope with two end pieces, a bell and a diaphragm. The bell is a shallow concave structure used to hear low pitched sounds such as extra heart sounds or murmurs. The diaphragm has a membrane across its structure resembling a drum and is used to hear high pitched sounds such as normal heart sounds. How to use a stethoscope