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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us by University of Pennsylvania

4.8
stars
6,167 ratings

About the Course

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....

Top reviews

BR

Sep 29, 2018

Yes, it is very useful to me and I will suggest to my friends to take this course. My sincere Thanks to Connie B. Scanga, PhD, she taken the all lecture clearly and her lecture was easy to understand.

AB

Jun 29, 2017

I really enjoyed to the professor and the idea of learning the material with her students. It made me feel as if I was in the classroom learning with them. She broke down the material in a great way.

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76 - 100 of 1,571 Reviews for Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us

By Kerstine P

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May 8, 2023

I did this course out of compliance for one of my nursing subjects (Nursing Informatics) which involved getting enrolled in an online course. However, as I went through the modules and watched all videos, I could definitely say that I did not regret getting enrolled in this course. It helped me review the things I learned in my previous semesters and was able to learn more things as well. Definitely recommending this course!

By Ximena A

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Oct 25, 2021

It was an amazing course. Vital signs are indispensable for life, whether you are a student or a health care provider, knowing everything about vital signs is essential and helps us realize how incredible the human body is. I'm very proud of myself for having finished this course and I will always be grateful to the teachers, coursera and the University of Pennsylvania for having made this course possible. Thank you so much!

By Priya S

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May 31, 2020

a superb course.I have gained so much knowledge about the human body and its functioning .The course is very informative in a way that makes it easy to comprehend even for laypersons like me.For this all credit to the brilliant and vibrant personality of dr scanga.She made even the most mundane topics interesting with her explanations,questions ,exclamations and a little dash of humour.thank you ,its been a great experience

By Manasi C

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Aug 1, 2023

I signed up for this course because I take immense interest in biology as a subject. The course takes you deep into the details of human anatomy (as a beginner) and it was exactly what I was looking for. Not only did it help me understand the depth of the subject but made me realize the importance of the skills that healthcare providers possess. Prof. Scanga is a brilliant teacher. I loved the interactive setup too.

By Kristen R

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Dec 8, 2016

This course goes at an easy pace and takes the time to really explain the concepts. The outline provided follows the lecture perfectly and allows for easy note taking. The videos are broken into short segments that make it easy to stay focused and watch whenever I have a free moment. I love that I do not have to sit and watch a 1.5hr lecture. With my career, there is no way I would have the time. Excellent course!!

By GERARDO B D J G B

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Sep 20, 2023

Fue un curso completo y bien llevado por la Dra. Connie B. Scanga, y Drs y Dras invitados, la información obtenida me será muy útil en mi desarrollo profesional así como laboral en el área docente.

Lo que pediría es que pusieran mas imágenes demostrativas sobre los temas desarrollados.

Felicidades a los ponentes y organizadores de Coursera.

Atentamente

Lic. en Estomatología Gerardo Benjamín de Jesús García Botello

By J A L

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Jul 29, 2020

Simple enough for laymen to understand what healthcare pros do during initial checkups and why they do them. For healthcare pros, this is an easy refresher course on the basics. As a medical student, I sort of expected an in-depth look at how the vital signs relate to clinical events (e.g. acidosis, CHF, etc), but the "beginner" tag should have prepared me otherwise hehe. In any case, a well-taught course.

By Medical c

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Oct 14, 2023

As a cardiologist, I have often fully understood the importance and value of vital signs. Emphasizing the role of vital signs in increasing diagnosis and treatment, this course has been very effective in supplementing awareness and valuable information. Obviously, the achievements of this course can be very useful in providing optimal medical and health care services for the treatment staff and patients.

By Sofia S

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Sep 12, 2023

The information and lectures were formatted and organised in a way that made it really easy to understand and take in the content. Dr Connie Scanga was an absolutely wonderful teacher and made the course really enjoyable. Thank you, I would confidently recommend this course to anyone interested in biomedical sciences, biology, neuroscience or even to just understand the human body a little bit better!

By Rxven

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Jan 10, 2021

Incredible teacher, as I began learning it was a little tedioua at times due to so many scientific terms, but as I kept learning it became super intriguing, and Dr. Scanga really knows how to explain the information for you to properly comprehend. I started the course thinking it was tedious, and I ended the course loving it completely. Thank you for your time and information, truly appreciate it!

By Devesh D

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Nov 22, 2021

A very well taught course with just the right mix of background history, theory, mechanism of action and practical implications. Focusing on the content and the application of the content in practical settings makes this course memorable and valuable. The instructor is very knowledgable and has done an outstanding job in communicating and explaining the content in an easy to understand manner.

By fadi A

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May 5, 2021

The course was amazing. Thanks to our wonderful Dr. Scanga who is very passionate and patient, her delivery and lecturing style is amazing and to be honest, I would love to take any other course taught by this wonderful Dr. And special thanks to those students and other members who participated along in the Vidoes. It is indeed the best course I have ever had

Thanks. Fady Aldakkan

Warm regards

By Jesús E V

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Jan 5, 2021

Me agrado mucho este curso, puesto que aprendí a diferenciar mucho en el aspecto de los signos vitales verlo de lado para enfermería, la semana que mas me gusto fue la de manejo del dolor, ahora entiendo el por que de la escala, gracias a Dra que nos dio la oportunidad de darnos este curso tengo todos y se que lo podre leer con calma en caso de que se me olvide y compartirlo a mis compañeros.

By Valerie Z

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Jun 25, 2020

I found this course very informative, and easy to follow along with. The course was full of well explained examples, details, and demonstrations. I especially enjoyed the interviews at the end which were a very important reminder of how pain is perceived and managed in different demographics, but even knowing that, it is important to remember that each individual must be judged independently.

By Rashmi T

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Oct 7, 2022

Overall, I was well-engaged with the class and course materials in the past few weeks. It was a good content for the topic, Vital Signs. I learned about the structure and function of the heart, blood pressure measurements, metabolism, temperature, and the respiratory system of the human body. The presentation of the teacher and her coordination with the students were impressive.

Thank you.

By ebony j

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Dec 29, 2020

I took a condensed EMT class in August. This is a lot of information to take in for a person who doesn't have prior medical knowledge. I paid to attend different courses to reinforce my knowledge and prepare me for the NREMT but unfortunately, the instructors only read off of slides. This course really helped me to understand and satisfied my visual, tactile, and hearing learning style.

By Guek K t

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Apr 14, 2020

I liked the pace of the course. The lecturer is very clear and systematic in her delivery of the lesson. The setting with the students enables me to visualize that I am also one of the participants taking the class. At times, I would found myself shouting out the answers. The quiz at the end of each video enables me to evaluate my understanding of the lesson, which I found very useful.

By Emily S

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Apr 11, 2020

I think most people taking this course were training to be in the medical field. I am not a part of the medical field, I just took it to learn more about how my body works. This course presented material in an accessible way. The Q&A lecture style with 3-5 students present made me feel as though I was sitting in on a very active classroom. I learned a lot and only wish there was more.

By Donnette S

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May 31, 2020

Amazing course! I know that I've been exposed to this material previously in high school biology and a course in Clinical Aspects of Pharmaceutical Medicine, but Dr. Scanga really made the material accessible and I feel as though I have a very clear understanding now, wondering why I didn't completely "get" some of the nuances before. VERY enjoyable course, well taught. Thank you!

By Alberto V

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Feb 27, 2020

This is a great course for anyone who is interested in learning more in regards to our human vital signs, thinking of starting a nursing carrier or currently in the medical field. Instructor Connie Skagna was very thorough and comprehensive, making this course a home run! I am more than glad that I was able to not only learn, but receive a certification as well. Thank You Coursera!!!

By Leigh-Ann S

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Mar 14, 2017

Great course for people who are interested in getting deeper into how the body works. Seeing as some courses tend to be quite easy on here, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself challenged every lesson. Furthermore, everything is impeccably structured and pedagogically designed to enhance learning. It's simply a great course. TAKE IT! You'll come away with a sense of achievement!

By Deleted A

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Jan 2, 2017

This course is just right for someone like me who has little medical knowledge but wants to know what the medics are looking for when they do their standard tests. It is well organised and benefits from the nursing students, who answer the awkward questions better than I could have done. Many thanks to everyone involved in producing the course, I enjoyed doing it and learnt a lot.

By Jean L

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Apr 9, 2021

I found this course very user friendly. The educators were very knowledgeable and clearly dedicated to helping me get the most out of this course. I will definitely rave about to my peers. Working in healthcare over the years I feel like I have a wealth of knowledge already, but this course taught me so much more. With a fresh perspective that will help me in my future career.

By Kira H H

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Oct 8, 2022

Even as a clinician of many years, this course was a good reminder of some fundamental basis for our work. After all, understanding how various systems relate with vital signs relate to our clinical reasoning, e.g. how much to exert a patient, whether a sign is stable or not, etc. I enjoyed the flexibility of the course, and the interactive nature of the videos. Kudos to the team.

By Viktor D

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Mar 4, 2017

It's was my first course on Coursera and I can't compare it, but it certainly put the bar quite high - it was easy to follow, the structure and length of lessons/videos was perfect for people who work in different field, but want to broaden their knowledge of medicine. Quiz at the end of each video and week is a good way to review and remember at least something from the course.