August 22, 2006 - To recognize the leadership of school nurses in asthma care, the Missouri Asthma Prevention and Control Program, a program of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, recently awarded 46 nurses with tAsthmaSchoolNursingAward0202he Asthma School Nursing Award.

The recipients serve public and parochial school systems in 36 of Missouri’s rural counties, representing every region of the state. More than 43,000 students are under their care. Based on national estimates, 3,000 of those students have asthma.

With $800 in funding from a mini-grant, each recipient selected a project to address the care of children with asthma in their community. Twenty-four chose to train sport coaches on asthma signs, symptoms, and management of athletes with asthma; eighteen elected to partner with parents to assess asthma care needs of elementary and high school students in preparation for back-to-school; three are making policy recommendations to school boards and administrators Map of Award Recipientsbased on the Center for Disease Control’s School Health Index; one school nurse created a customized approach which incorporated elements of the coach and parent-oriented projects.

Elinor Burnett, RN from Breckenridge R-I (Caldwell County) said that “additional asthma instruction and reinforcement of care are important because we are very rural and some distance from emergency care.” School nurse Deb Cooke, RN from Kennett (Dunklin County) reported that the coaches program, in particular, “will encourage and allow the athlete to feel safe while participating.”

“The school office is often the first line of health care for many of our students,” says school nurse Kathy Palmer, RN of Knox County R-I in Edina, Missouri. The Asthma School Nursing Award was created for that reason, said Missouri Asthma Program manager Peggy Gaddy. “The Department is pleased to support school nurses across Missouri. They are important allies with children, parents, and physicians in the management of asthma.”

Asthma is the number one cause of hospitalization among children under 15 years of age, and accounts for one-sixth of all pediatric emergency room visits in the United States. Missouri data shows children under 15, particularly males and African Americans, have the highest rates of hospitalization and emergency room visits due to asthma. Asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic illness, resulting in an average of 8 missed school days per child with asthma and a total of 700,000 days per year across Missouri.

  List of award recipients

  More information about the Asthma School Nursing Award