For those of you wondering, I think I've taken a manual blood pressure 5 or 10 times in my career. We have automatic ones that are practically idiot-proof. But there ARE stethoscopes with dual-sided bells, and everyone who owns one has put the wrong side on the patient innumerable times.

Gotta love your patients :p

Just a mistake! Everybody makes them!

YES it was an honest mistake, we've all established that. BUT what I don't understand is why everyone who believes the patient had the right to be concerned, keeps getting thumbed down. Isn't that just as appropriate of a response as OP making an honest mistake?

Oh shut up, some of you act like you've never made a silly little mistake before. Cut the guy some slack! doesn't mean he should give up on being a doctor.

Thank God you're not a surgeon!!

It's an easy mistake to make for several reasons, one being that the bell and diaphragm could have been turned so it was set to listen to the other side (several of my colleagues find their stethoscopes 'don't work' if they've been left out at home and their children have been investigating), or, they may have been doing upper chest sounds before this patient and autmatically used the bell. There's also the fact that, when you're under pressure, it is easy to make minor mistakes because you're focussing on getting the major things right. I think the problem with the comments saying the patient is right to be concerned is that, yes, he has the right to be worried, but not the right to behave the way he did. I find it hard to believe that the patient's never made a mistake before.

Sounds like someone needs to go back to anatomy and physiology class.

I think OP meant that they had the ear peice in backwards.... Easy mistake to make....you cant hear as Well and of course it is uncomfortable- so its something they would have figured out.

Clear!!!