If you are a physician specializing in critical care or cardiology, a cardiology or digital stethoscope may be the best choice.
In general, the best stethoscope for nurses seems to be the 3M Littman Classic, trusted by many medical professionals. But there are many nursing specialties — such as cardiac, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, pediatrics, and flight medicine — that may benefit from specialty stethoscopes such as cardiology, pediatric, or infant.
Nursing students, medical students, and patient care technician students may want to choose one of the budget options until they get a good feel for their practice.