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Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us

The vital signs – heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and pain – communicate important information about the physiological status...
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Content

Platform: Coursera
Video: 7h 46m
Language: English

Table of contents

Description

The vital signs – heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and pain – communicate important information about the physiological status of the human body. In this six-part course we explore the anatomy and physiology underlying the vital signs so that you will develop a systematic, integrated understanding of how the body functions. Relevant body systems are reviewed including cardiovascular and respiratory, followed by explanations of how the function of these systems affects vital signs. We discuss normal ranges, normal variants, and the mechanisms that underlie changes in the objective measurement of vital signs. The course also includes demonstrations of appropriate techniques for measuring vital signs in yourself and others.

The course is designed for a broad, general audience but will be particularly interesting for individuals working in healthcare, those considering a career as a healthcare professional, lay caregivers, those with an interest in personal health and fitness, or anyone who simply wants to understand how the body functions.

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School of Nursing
University of Pennsylvania
Connie Scanga is a Practice Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She received her Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Temple University in 1994. She has taught Anatomy & Physiology for over 20 years, first at the Community College of Philadelphia, and later at Eastern University and Temple University. After spending 3 years as a Research Fellow at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, New Zealand, Dr. Scanga returned to teaching at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 2000. Since 2011 she has co-taught an innovative course called Integrated Anatomy, Physiology & Physical Assessment, which is a foundational course for undergraduate nursing majors. She has won multiple teaching awards, including the School of Nursing’s Dean’s Award for Undergraduate Teaching in 2006 and the University of Pennsylvania Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence by Non-Standing Faculty in 2009. In her free time, she loves to travel, work in her garden, rock climb, and participate in conversational Spanish classes.
Platform: Coursera
Video: 7h 46m
Language: English

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