Chronic Activity
The chronic activity should be presented during the introduction of the unit. This activity will take one half to one full class period to integrate. The focus of the initial integration is to get the students comfortable with the activity so that it becomes routine. During the unit, students will complete this activity as a warm up. In order to build excitement in the class, I would encourage students to wear their lab coats while obtaining vitals.
Vitals Activity
At the beginning of each period, students will be required to obtain a set of "vitals" on each other or themselves. The vitals that students will be obtaining are: blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing rate, and state of the pupils. Since this information is personal, it is suggested that teachers obtain permission from administrators and parents prior to this activity. If privacy becomes an issue, students may take their own vitals, or this activity may be removed from the unit. Students will be given a sheet to record their vitals (See Appendix A). If the teacher collects this sheet it is recommended that it be secured in a safe place that is only accessible to the teacher.
Detailed instructions for obtaining vital signs can be obtained through the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/69lr8e00k3vwiky/Vital%20Signs.docx. While there are many different techniques, the document's instructions are what I use both in the classroom and in the field as a paramedic.
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