Asthma Resource Portal
According to the CDC, asthma affects 3 students in a classroom of 30 and is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. It is more prevalent in students who are minorities, who live in inner-cities or in low-income households. These are the students who face the most barriers to learning. In an effort to support school health professionals and school staff in asthma treatment and control for all students, ASHA has created this Asthma Resource Portal. 
 
 

Nurse and Clinician Education/Training Programs

Asthma Control: Are You Doing YOUR Part? An Update for School Nurses in School-based Asthma Management 

This webinar provides school nurses with information on the six guidelines-based priority messages from the NAEPP’s Guidelines Implementation Panel (GIP) Report, as well as advances in school-based asthma management and techniques to overcome barriers to controlling asthma in the school setting. Hosted by Dr. Stephen Conley, ASHA’s Executive Director, the panelists include Dr. Lani Wheeler, Pediatric Asthma Specialist; Dr. Benjamin Francisco, Director of Asthma Ready® Communities; and Deborah Cook, RN, Director of Health Services, Kennett Public Schools, Missouri.

Teaming Up for Asthma Control – School Nurse Online-Module

This free online training program provides school nurses with a 2-hour web-based Asthma Best Practices course utilizing the Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR3-2007) and provides clear, evidence-based approaches for improving asthma care. 

Asthma Management and Education course 

This course recognizes the critical role allied health professionals play in educating and caring for patients with asthma. Course content conforms with the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) 2007 Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. This program contains 12 modules of self-paced study. Upon completion of the full course nurses and Respiratory Therapists will be eligible to earn 7 continuing education credits from the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation and the American Association for Respiratory Care. This course is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Environments Division. 

Breathing Should Be Easy: Guideline-Level Asthma Care

This free, 30-minute continuing education presentation was created for nurse practitioners and other health care professionals. Presented by four nurse practitioners, it provides a basic overview of current asthma guidelines, case examples, and practical insights into patient care and adherence for children and adults who have asthma. Developed and released by Medscape from WebMD. Note: To view the program video or transcript, you will need to register for a free account. Once you have logged in, search for the title of this presentation or visit the Medscape Asthma Resource Center’s Asthma CME page. The program is approved for 0.75 contact hours of continuing education by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 

The National Environmental Education Foundation's (NEEF) Pediatric Asthma Initiative

These guidelines are aimed at integrating environmental management of asthma into pediatric health care. These documents explain competencies in environmental health relevant to pediatric asthma that should be mastered by health care providers, and outline the environmental interventions that should be communicated to patients.

Environmental Management of Pediatric Asthma: Guidelines for Health Care Providers

These guidelines are aimed at integrating environmental management of asthma into pediatric health care. These documents outline competencies in environmental health relevant to pediatric asthma that should be mastered by health care providers, and outlines the environmental interventions that should be communicated to patients.

Reducing Environmental Triggers of Asthma in the Home

The Minnesota Department of Health developed this free, online training as part of an EPA grant. It is designed for public health nurses and certified asthma educators and takes about 40 minutes to complete. It teaches about the triggers of asthma found in the home and suggests simple, realistic interventions that helps limit or eliminate exposure to these triggers. The program also features a resource section that can be accessed after the training has been completed.

 
 

What’s Your IEQ? A Roadmap to School Indoor Environmental Quality

Developed by NEA HIN as part of NEA's Online Academy, this 4.5 hr course provides education on how to identify, prevent, and resolve indoor environmental quality (IEQ) issues like mold and moisture problems, chemical exposure, asbestos, radon, and more. The course’s design incorporates nationally recognized, research-based standards for online professional development and provides teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) with the opportunity to obtain certificate hours and other professional development credit. A total of 5.56 certificate hours can be earned. Note: To access the course go to http://www.neaacademy.org/leader-to-leader/whats-your-ieq-a-roadmap-to-school-indoor-environmental-quality.html to register for a password.

Managing Asthma in the School Environment: What NEA Members Need to Know

This 1.5 hours course addresses better asthma management while at school. It reviews the causes, signs and symptoms of asthma; asthma triggers; key elements of asthma control; and strategies for creating asthma-friendly schools. The course design incorporates nationally recognized, research-based standards for online professional development for teachers and education support professionals. A total of 2.5 certificate hours can be earned. Developed by NEA HIN and the Merck Childhood Asthma Network (MCAN). Note: To access the course, go to http://www.neaacademy.org/leader-to-leader/managing-asthma-in-the-school-environment-what-nea-members-need-to-know.html to register for a password.

The Coach’s Clipboard Program: Winning with Asthma

This free 30-minute educational program encourages those involved in youth sports, especially coaches, to better understand how to help athletes properly manage their asthma during athletic events. It teaches proper medication management, ways to prevent exercise-induced asthma, steps to take when athletes are experiencing asthma attacks, asthma triggers-what they are and what can be done to avoid them, and guidelines specific for cold-weather sports. The program was developed as a collaborative effort of the Minnesota and Utah Departments of Health through funding from CDC asthma cooperative agreements and the Minnesota Steps Initiative.

Ready? Set? Go With Asthma! Exercise-Induced Asthma 

This educational program defines and describes exercise-induced asthma, identifies common asthma triggers, such as exercise, and distinguishes early warning signs of asthma attacks. The presentation and handouts reflect the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program’s Expert Panel Report III: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. The program was developed by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America with funding from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, Inc.

 

 

Other Resources

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes Resources - 10 tips plus resources from the National Asthma Control Initiative, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 

 
  • Find asthma data and resources, including the “Initiating Change: Creating an Asthma-Friendly School” toolkit and “Strategies for Addressing Asthma within a Coordinated School Health Program.” Look at “Asthma Links” for more resources.
  • Learn how to clean schools to reduce the spread of influenza and other viruses.
 
  • IAQ Tools for Schools Download the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit and learn about the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management.
  • AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org serves as a year-round resource for mentoring and collaboration. It’s designed to provide the tools, information and partners to support asthma management programs. Check out the Resource Bank for more resources.
  • Learn about EPA’s Clean School Bus initiative on EPA’s website.
  • Working with Schools to Improve Pediatric Asthma Management reviews recent research findings and provides guidance for asthma care clinicians on how to enhance school-based asthma management. Key action steps for clinicians, families, and schools are provided.
American Lung Association Resources - Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative -  The Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative provides a framework and tools that communities and schools can use to work together on a comprehensive approach to asthma management, including planning tools, policy recommendations, and education programs.
 
American School Health Association - Creating Asthma-Friendly Schools  - This downloadable brochure translates the EPR-3 Recommendations and Priority Messages (GIP messages) into usable messages for schools.

AASA/NSBA – Communications Toolkit - Provides school leaders with a one-stop online resource to obtain information, forms, and templates to communicate about asthma management in schools with staff, parents, the community, and the media.

AASA/NSBA – In the Schoolyard and Beyond: Addressing Childhood Asthma in Your Community - Focuses on six overarching actions that demonstrate how families, communities, and schools can create a coordinated approach to the management of childhood asthma.

Top Ten Tips on School-based Asthma Management for School Nurses - Developed by Linda Caldart-Olson, RN, MS, Linda Davis-Alldritt, RN, MA, PHN, FNASN, and Lani Wheeler, MD, FAAP, FASHA, this document provides detailed tips on asthma management for school nurses. The document was originally presented at the NASN 41st Annual Conference.