Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Asthma Action Plans as a Practice Guideline for Elementary School Nurses in a Midwestern Suburban School District
Issue Date
2020-08-31Author
Cochran, Michelle Simone
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
59 pages
Type
Dissertation
Degree Level
D.N.P.
Discipline
Nursing
Rights
Copyright held by the author.
Metadata
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Abstract Background: Asthma affects one of every ten children, making it the most common chronic disease in children. Best practices state an individualized Asthma Action Plan (AAP), written by the child's health care provider, should be provided to the school nurse to use as a guide when caring for the child with asthma. There is little data on the effectiveness of the AAP as a guideline for use by the school nurse. Attention to issues unique to the school nurse setting will assist in identifying barriers and facilitators in the implementation of the AAP by the school nurse. Objective: The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of the AAP as a practice guideline to assist school nurses with asthma management in elementary-age children diagnosed with asthma. Methods: The setting is a Midwestern suburban school district (MSSD). The sample is MSSD elementary school nurses who volunteered to be interviewed on two of their most challenging asthma cases with an AAP. Responses from the interviews were analyzed for common themes and categorized into the principles within the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice. Quantitative data included statistics on asthma in the MSSD gathered by the school district and nurse demographics collected during the interviews. Results: Five school nurses participated in the interviews. Nurse communication, education, and vigilance were the most frequently identified facilitators in the effective use of the AAP. The most significant barriers were gaps in understanding about the AAP. Conclusions: Further evaluation would be valuable in understanding the themes, barriers, and facilitators in using the AAP as a guideline for care in the school nurse setting. Keywords: asthma, asthma resources, asthma action plan, asthma in schools, asthma action plans in schools, school nurses, practice guidelines, nursing guidelines, practice guidelines, community/public health
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