In the Carolina® Healthcare Simulations Kit Series, students practice clinical skills, techniques, and procedures. Each simulation includes a case study that provides students with background information about a patient who presents with relevant symptoms. While performing a series of investigations, in addition to gaining an understanding of human anatomy and physiology, students learn and practice skills that can be used in a healthcare setting.

The Carolina® Healthcare Simulations: Vital Signs Kit provides students with a case study about a teacher who arrives at school with respiratory symptoms. During the lab, students learn about how to collect vital sign data. Students learn how to listen for respiratory sounds and breathing rates; they learn about and practice taking a pulse and blood pressure measurements; they discover the correct way to take and record temperature; and they practice obtaining and interpreting oxygen saturation measurements. At the completion of the lab, students are able to assess their patient's health and make determinations about a diagnosis. Kit includes materials for 2 stations for each of the 5 investigations, with 2 pairs of students at each station.

Time Requirement
Teacher prep, 60 minutes. Prelab, 10 minutes. Investigation 1, 50 minutes. Investigation 2, 50 minutes. Investigation 3, 50 minutes. Investigation 4, 50 minutes. Investigation 5, 50 minutes. Assessment, 15 minutes.

Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for NGSS. Digital resources may include a teacher manual and student guide, pre-lab activities and setup videos, phenomenon videos, simulations, and post-lab analysis and assessments.

Performance Expectation(s)
HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Crosscutting Concepts
Stability and Change

Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS1.A: Structure and Function

Science and Engineering Practices
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Learning Objectives

• Identify the equipment used to measure each vital sign.
• Demonstrate the ability to use and accurately read equipment to measure pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and temperature.
• Know the normal limits of each vital sign.
• Evaluate factors that affect pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and temperature.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
Students should have a basic knowledge of the structure and function of the human body. They should also possess the ability to gather and synthesize information and the ability to construct an explanation based on information.