School Nusing: Asthma Action Plan

School Nursing 6
Student’s Name
Institution
School Nursing 6
Question One
One of the resources provided by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) (2020) is a checklist that school nurses can use in managing asthma. The checklists reveal that part of the plans for asthma management includes an asthma action plan (AAPlan) and an individualized healthcare plan (IHP). According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) (2015), AAPlan is a detailed written plan that offers instructions and information on managing asthma. Every asthmatic person should have one. The details of an AAPlan are the medication that should be used to manage asthma, what needs to be done in an emergency as well as how to identify whether the symptoms are worsening. The plan has three essential zones; green is when the patient is doing okay, yellow is when the patient is experiencing symptoms, and red is when the patient’s symptoms are getting worse, and medical attention is needed (AAFA, 2015). The plan should highlight what medication should be taken and what steps should be followed to manage asthma at each zone. An AAPlan is developed by the patient (the student and caregiver) and their healthcare provider.
An IHP is a detailed plan outlining the school’s actions to create a safe environment for the child. For example, for an asthmatic child, an IHP would outline how the school will minimize triggers, identify the child’s asthma symptoms and treat them (AAFA, 2021). Since the IHP is a nursing care plan, it should outline the assessment data and nursing diagnosis as well as the nursing interventions that the school nurse should take to help the specific student. It should also contain an evaluation plan based on the expected outcomes of the nursing interventions. The IHP should be culturally sensitive and tailored to the specific health needs of the asthmatic student. It is developed by the school nurse in collaboration with the student’s healthcare provider and family.
Question Two
Teachers interact with students quite often, and they must understand some of the common medical conditions that students have so that they can help and accommodate them in the classroom. Therefore, training teachers about asthma and asthma management is crucial. According to Kew et al. (2017), educating and training teachers about asthma can help in producing better health outcomes for students with asthma. One key element that should be included in the training/ education plan is information about the condition. Kew et al. (2017) state that teachers need to understand what asthma is. They should understand that it is a long-term/chronic condition and should be informed about its mortality. In addition, teachers need to be educated about asthma symptoms to ensure that they will recognize when students are having an asthma attack.
Another element that should be included in the training is the triggers of asthma for various students. This can help teachers create a safe environment by minimizing such triggers. Further, Kew et al. (2017) recommend training teachers about asthma interventions. The training should include the various medications for asthma and when and how to use medications such as inhalers. It would be problematic if teachers could not recognize an asthma attack or be unsure what medication to use or when to call for assistance. Teachers should also be educated about the AAPlans. According to Getch et al. (2019), teachers are part of the comprehensive team that needs knowledge on how to put AAPlans into motion. They should also be made aware of asthma-related laws, such as “carry and use inhalers” laws.
Question Three
A comprehensive team is needed to keep students with severe allergies safe at school. Nurses need to work with others, such as school nutritionists, to ensure that these students are safe. There exist a link between nutrition and allergies, not only for food allergies but also other forms of allergies. According to McKenzie et al. (2017), nutrition influences the immune system. Since allergies involve an adverse reaction of the immune system, then nutrition and dietary intakes can be linked to severe allergies. As a school nurse, I would collaborate with the head of nutrition to ensure that the food given to students has the right dietary intakes, such as fiber, to reduce students’ risk of adverse immune system reactions.
I would also collaborate with the head of nutrition in the school district by engaging them to create and maintain sustainable school programs that address food allergies. One of the resources provided by the NASN (2019) for managing allergies and anaphylaxis is a stakeholder collaboration checkl...