Ep. 169: What a School Nurse Wants Parents to Know About Asthma Peak Week
Part of the series: Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations Podcast
This podcast was made in partnership with Allergy & Asthma Network.
We thank AstraZeneca and Amgen for sponsoring this episode. While they support the show, all opinions are our own, and sponsorship doesn’t influence our content or editorial decisions. Any mention of brands is for informational purposes and not an endorsement.
Every September, doctors see a jump in asthma attacks and ER visits. It's called Asthma Peak Week, and it usually hits the third week of September, right when families are settling into their school routines.
Kortney and Dr. Payel Gupta are joined again by Liz Elliott, a nurse administrator in school health services for Montgomery County, Maryland, and a returning guest from our food allergy episode. This time, Liz answers the questions parents ask most about asthma at school, from what actually happens during a flare to whether their child's inhaler needs to be with them or in the health room.
What we cover in our episode about Asthma Peak Week from the school nurse perspective
Can my child self-carry their inhaler? The rules on self-carry, and why kindergartners and teenagers are handled differently.
Does the school have stock rescue inhalers (albuterol)? What stock albuterol is, and what happens if your child's own inhaler isn't there yet.
What happens if my child has a flare at school? Learn the protocol that is in place if your child experiences an asthma attack, and what happens for kids who experience their first asthma flare.
Signs of asthma parents might miss that their child's asthma is not under control. Nighttime awakenings and an "asthma cough" can all be early warning signs.
Closing the gap between home and school. Why the plan your provider signs has to match what's sent to school, and what to bring on day one.
About our guest
Liz Elliott is a nationally certified school nurse and a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist working in school health services for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. She is Immediate Past President of the Maryland Association of School Health Nurses and has worked in school health since 2009. Liz is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and serves on the board of Allergy & Asthma Network.
More resources about air quality and asthma
Allergy & Asthma Network: How to Avoid the September Asthma Peak
Allergy & Asthma Network: Asthma Action Plan
Allergy & Asthma Network: Managing Asthma at School
Allergy & Asthma Network: School Resources
Listen: Ep. 135: Food Allergies in School, A School Nurse's Perspective
NASN Asthma CPG and Toolkit
More asthma epsiodes
Timestamps
Our episode about preparing for your child’s asthma at the start of the school year.
02:42 What is Asthma Peak Week
04:38 What a school nurse sees in September
07:07 What families can do to support their kids' health at school
12:31 Signs that show a kid's asthma is not under control
16:04 The gap between the at-home asthma action plan and the school
19:04 School nurses giving medication at school
24:23 A school nurse's role as case manager
26:50 What happens if your child has an asthma attack at school
31:22 Stock albuterol
39:20 504 and IEP plans
