October 2025: Taking Vital Signs

WELCOME

TO

BUILD-A-DOC

Where you’ll build your

clinical skills and

scientific

knowledge with

HSAFP!

We’re taking vitals with

Dr. Hanna Vinitsky

and

Dr. Luke Voytas!

Dr. Hanna Vinitsky will teach us how to take a patient’s temperature and blood pressure, while Dr. Luke Voytas will demonstrate how to measure a patient’s heart rate and respiration rate.

With this course’s guidance and your Chapter Officer team’s organization, you as an HSAFP member will gain hands-on competence in measuring the four main vital signs: body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure.

List of Vital Tools and Equipment Your Chapter Will Need This Month

• Measuring Temperature: A digital thermometer and alcohol wipes to sanitize (or using your own thermometer from home will work)
  
• Measuring Heart Rate: A watch/phone with a timer, also your hands or a stethoscope.
  
• Measuring Respiration Rate: A timer.
  
• Measuring Blood Pressure: An automated blood pressure monitor.
  Optional items for taking manual blood pressure readings: a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope.

Note for Chapter Officers:

Hi there! Just a reminder: read through the entirety of this course, particularly the “Taking Vitals Overview” lesson.

You’ll also want to make sure to draw on any and all of the activities provided in this course for your future HSAFP meetings and individual development (and remind your members of the activities that you may not get to during meetings but they can do on their own!).

In addition, you will submit the three “assignments” (curriculum, research journal, and Instagram post) that count toward the Chapter of the Year Awards (see the Chapter Officer Guide for more information). These submissions will always be at the end of the course each month. Let the HSAFP Executive Team know if you have questions!