Adolescent Asthma Action Project

Asthma is the leading chronic disease of adolescents and school-aged children.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven million children have asthma, and up to 13 million school days are missed per year due to asthma. Missed school days are associated with lower results on exams and grade retention.Adolescents are at a higher risk for experiencing asthma symptoms, and more frequent and severe episodes. This risk is related to adolescents’ lack of self-management skills and lack of access to healthcare. School nurses are in a position to assist adolescents to monitor their asthma, learn self-management skills, and develop asthma control. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to develop a best-practice asthma protocol for school nurses to empower adolescents to control asthma. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecology Systems Model and Stetler\u27s Evidence-based Practice Model guided this project. A critical appraisal of the literature was conducted to determine best-practice.This author collaborated with a team of school nurses to develop an asthma protocol for adolescents in middle and high schools. Each adolescent completed the Healthy Learner Student Asthma Questionnaire and Asthma Control Test prior to receiving targeted asthma education from the school nurse.These measures were repeated two months later. Outcomes were evaluated using the SPSS 19.0 statistical package. A paired sample t test compared the mean ACT1scores to the mean ACT2 scores. This difference wasstatistically significant at alpha .10 (t (14) = -1.90, p= .078) with a 2-tailed test. Participants reported carrying their albuterol inhalers at school and a reduction inemergency room and urgent clinic visits. The number of asthma action plans received by the school nurses increased. These findings support that a school-based, nurse delivered asthma protocol improved health outcomes for adolescents