The Vital Role of the School Nurse in Managing Asthma

Abstract

Since asthma is the most common noncommunicable chronic childhood disease in the United States, school nurses will encounter students with this health condition. The purpose of this article is to present the school nurse as the leader in directing the management of a student’s chronic health condition at school. This article provides a table of resources and discusses many aspects of asthma management, including utilization of the student’s asthma action plan, student-specific school accommodation needs, the importance of developing individualized healthcare plans, providing education to school staff related to asthma management and determining of the family and student knowledge level, as well as strategies to minimize exacerbations. The article also explores school nurse opportunity to advocate for emergency asthma medication access as a part of emergency preparedness. School-based asthma management can be complex and school nurses have a pivotal role in asthma management in a school.