Best Tools for Respiratory Therapy, Medical, and Nursing Students Vector

5 Best Tools for Respiratory Therapy, Medical, and Nursing Students

by | Updated: Jan 28, 2023

Being a Respiratory Therapist requires you to be on your toes at all times. When an emergency situation comes up, it’s important to have everything you need right then and there — including the right tools.

That’s why, in this article, we put together a list of the absolute best tools that every Respiratory Therapy Student must have during clinical rotations. This will not only benefit you as the student, most importantly, it will benefits your patients.

When making our selections, we took two things into consideration:

  1. Quality
  2. Affordability

Basically, we wanted to provide the absolute best tools you can get for the best price. Trust me, I realize how tight our budgets can be, especially as students. So that’s why the tools on this list are all about saving money and getting the best bang for your buck.

Good quality for a good price. Does that sound good? If so, let’s dive in.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links which means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Our Top Recommendations:

Now that you’ve taken a look at our quick list of must-have tools for student, let’s dive deeper into our more details reviews.

Best Tools for Students in the Medical Field:

First and foremost, as a Respiratory Therapy Student, you will definitely need a high-quality stethoscope. And when it comes to getting the best bang for your buck, there’s none better than the MDF Acoustica Deluxe Lightweight Dual Head Stethoscope.

This excellent diagnostic instrument comes with just about every feature you need to diagnosis smooth and easy. It’s made of lightweight aluminum and comes with thicker tubing, making it great for durability.

For the most part, the MDF Acoustica Deluxe Lightweight Dual Head Stethoscope has superb sound quality — it delivers excellent heart, lungs and korotkoff sounds. 

The clarity is so good that you won’t be distracted by environmental noises and the like.

You’ll also be glad to know that the earbuds on this stethoscope are super comfortable, making the instrument incredibly easy to use. To sum it up, the MDF Acoustica Deluxe Lightweight Dual Head Stethoscope comes with a lifetime warranty, and that’s impressive.

Its color variety is also a big plus! All in all, it’s a great pick for students looking to get a high-quality stethoscope without spending a fortune. Visit this link to learn more about all of our Top-Rated Stethoscopes.

The next tool that all Respiratory Therapy students need is a pulse oximeter.

The Concord Sapphire Pulse Oximeter is a good option for students because it’s high-quality and not super-expensive.

For starters, it delivers accurate readings of SpO2 blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate in as little as 10 seconds. That being said, you can be sure that this device is very easy to use and excellent for healthcare professionals.

This pulse oximeter also features a large and bright LED for convenient reading and it takes only a few seconds to pick up the reading. The display also sports two colors and displays a real-time waveform of the SpO2 level.

It’s also good to point out that the device comes with a built-in SMART Spring System which makes it compatible with fingers of all sizes. It also has a durable case construction for long-term use. There’s also carrying case and neck/wrist cord extra protection and mobility. Again, this is a great option for students.

Visit this link to learn more about all of our Top-Rated Pulse Oximeters.

Every Respiratory Therapist (including students) need a good pair of shoes to keep their feet feeling fresh throughout the shift. A great option for our female students is the Dansko Women’s Professional Clogs.

Gentlemen, you can skip down to #3b for our top recommendation for you.

Not only will these shoes keep your feet fresh, you’ll also receive lots of compliments thanks to their beautiful design. The clog is made of 100% leather that’s unlikely to peel or wear out. It’s a very high-quality shoe that should be semi-affordable.

Alright guys, you didn’t think we forgot about you — did you? Our top pick for male students are the Brooks Ghost Running Shoes.

They look cool, and they’ll keep your feet feeling fresh all throughout the day. Not to mention, they’re versatile enough that you can wear them to school or to the gym as well.

The shoe offers great arch support and shock absorption with the padded sole technology. I mean, they’re designed for long-distance running, so you know that they’re going to keep your feet and legs feeling nice. The price isn’t too expensive either, which is why these are our top recommendation for (male) medical students.

Visit this link to learn more about all of our Top-Rated Shoes for medical professionals.

Next up on our list — every student needs a pen light. We like the CAVN Medical Pen Light that comes in a 2-pack. So you get two for the price of one.

These are inexpensive and don’t take up a lot of space, so it’s a tool that all students need during clinical rotations. You never know when you’re going to need the pen light to get a better look and assessment of your patient.

I find that it’s helpful to assess for skin breakdown for patients wearing a nasal cannula. The light helps you get a good look behind the ears.

That is why this is another tool that we recommend for all students in the medical field.

Finally, you’ll need something to help keep everything organized during clinical rotations at the hospital. And that’s why we recommend for students to use a clipboard.

Our top recommendation for students is the Officemate Slim Clipboard because of the affordability and durability that it offer. Look, it’s not one of the fancy ones with the built-in calculator and cheat sheets. However, it can do everything you need it to do to serve it’s purpose — especially while you’re a student.

Visit this link if you’re interested in learning about all of our Top Recommend Medical Clipboards.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it. Now you know the absolute best tools that students must have for clinical rotations. This list can help you get the best tools at the best prices.

This will help you go into your clinical rotations with confidence knowing that you can get the job done the right way with the right tools.

If you thought this was help, definitely check out our full database of tools and resources for Respiratory Therapists and students. Thank you for reading and as always, breathe easy my friend.

Written by:

John Landry, BS, RRT

John Landry is a registered respiratory therapist from Memphis, TN, and has a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. He enjoys using evidence-based research to help others breathe easier and live a healthier life.