Tips for Asthma Management in Schools, Elizabeth C. Burton RN, BSN, IBCLC

  • Posted on: 7 September 2012
  • By: CMSAsthma

Tips for Asthma Management in Schools with Elizabeth C. Burton, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Of the 138,000 children in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), 14,000 students are affected by asthma. Asthma contributes to school absences and can lead to serious health complications. To address this growing problem, CMS collaborated with the Mecklenburg County Health Department and founded the Asthma Education Program in 2003. CMS is now a recognized leader in asthma and indoor air quality management.  

Read a few tips below from Elizabeth C. Burton, an Asthma Management Nurse who was involved in the CMS' Asthma Education Program, and learn how YOU can take control of asthma in your school and community.

1.       Develop an Asthma Management Program 

CMS adopted CDC's Coordinated School Health Program Model which calls for a "Healthy and Safe School Environment." Using EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Framework for Effective IAQ management, CMS implemented an indoor air quality (IAQ) management plan to reduce asthma triggers in the district's schools and create healthy and safe learning environments.  

2.       Offer Asthma Education Programs

Asthma education is an effective way to help students with asthma live healthy active lives. CMS uses tailored educational programs to reach students, staff, parents and the community at large.

Students- Each year, students with asthma take part in an asthma training, "Kickin' Asthma" or "Open Airways for Schools," which is led by school nurses and promotes lifelong asthma management skills.

Staff - School staff members complete an annual asthma training led by school nurses that is supported by CMS' wellness policy.

Parents - CMS partners with the Mecklenburg County Asthma Coalition to offer free quarterly parent asthma education classes so that parents can better manage childhood asthma in their homes.

Community - CMS collaborates with community partners to offer an annual asthma forum for community members, physicians, nurses, students and school staff. Topics include environmental management and environmental trigger control.

3.       Build and Foster Partnerships

CMS partners with local hospitals to track student hospital admissions for asthma and shares this information with school nurses. The school then provides targeted interventions for students to improve health outcomes and decrease hospital readmissions.

Identify and form partnerships with other organizations by aligning common goals, scheduling reoccurring meetings and inviting community stakeholders to assist with the strategic planning process. Make sure to provide regular updates to community members to keep everyone engaged with the process.

4.       Evaluate Your Program

A key aspect of any sustainable asthma management program is evaluation. In 2008, CMS conducted a needs assessment to gather baseline data on the students their program was serving. This data helped identify areas for improvement and create additional buy-in from school and community leaders.

Learn more about evaluation by viewing the podcast featuring CMS titled "Part I - Making a Difference in School-Based Asthma Management" and "Part II - Program Evaluation."

5.       Take Advantage of Additional Resources

-Read more about CMS's Asthma Education Program here.

-Check out EPA's Managing Asthma in the School Environment.

-Learn about CMS's other efforts in their Environmental Stewardship Guide.

 

 For more information, contact Nancy Langenfeld Nancy.langenfeld@cms.k12.nc.us  or Maria Bonaiuto at Maria.bonaiuto@carolinashealthcare.org.