Help with asthma assignment

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · Apr 9, 2013

She probably means that you should actually list the triggers. If you know the medication, give specific details. Tell the correct way to use the inhaler. Tell why smoking around him is a no-no.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2013

Make it a presentation like you are presenting it to the parents with all the necessary information included.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2013

I have a group asthma presentation I have to do.
My part is to evaluate the education for asthma, this is what I have wrote so far but one of my group members says I need to be more specific. what does she mean by that.

I agree you need to be more specific, let's look at what you have:

Once Thomas ‘s parents have been educated on everything that they need to know about his asthma, it would be a good idea to get them to explain to you at least 3 of the 4 triggers that can cause his asthma. This will help them to identify when their son maybe having another asthma attack.

This isn't really worded correctly. Thomas has asthma. Triggers are not going to "cause" his asthma but may cause an exacerbation. Knowing the triggers also won't help them identify when he's having an asthma attack but will help them identify a situation Thomas might be in that would increase his risk. What triggers should the family be able to name? What would tell them that he is having an asthma attack?

They also need to know the different types of medications that are used to treat asthma but most importantly, which ones Thomas needs to use and how to administrate them properly so that they can teach Thomas the correct way. So that you know that they have the correct understanding of this you would need to get them to explain this back to you.

What medications has Thomas been prescribed? How will you verify that Thomas's parents understand them? You need to be very specific here:

Thomas's parents will state that X inhaler is to be given (daily, BID, however it is ordered)

Thomas's parents will state that they need to use X inhaler as a rescue when Thomas exhibits X symptoms.

Do you know which medications Thomas is on? Do you know which one is for which? What do the parents need to be taught about the administration of these inhalers? Also, how old is Thomas? Is he really going to be self-administering these meds?

His parents also need to understand the reasons as to why they shouldn’t be smoking around him, under any circumstances.

How will you assess that they understand this?

You also need to make sure that they have been well educated on why and when Thomas would need to use his peek flow meter and the different zones that that need to be looked at when he is using it. Get them to demonstrate this back to you as a way of re-enforcing it for them.

Again, how do you assess their understanding of this? Return demonstration is a good idea, but the way it is written isn't really right as far as evaluating their understanding. Your evaluation would be something like "parents will demonstrate appropriate use of peak-flow meter." You're evaluating the education, remember, not telling someone else how to educate the parents.

Having Thomas parents use a management plan for his asthma will be one of the best ways for them to better control his asthma, reduce his asthma attacks, reduce his reliever medication use and will also reduce his hospital visits.
Also having Thomas parents getting involved in his asthma in general will help him to better manage it and will also give him good support.

Again, this is a suggestion for education/management of Thomas's illness but is not a way to evaluate the parents' understanding of the education they were given. Say a management plan was reviewed with Thomas's parents- how do you assess their understanding of it? Also, who is going to be managing the disease- Thomas? Or his parents? How old is he?

Chynna21 · Apr 10, 2013

Thanks for the help, really gave me a great understanding of what I need to be writing. Also he is a 4year old

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2013

Ok, so a four year old is not going to be administering his own medications or managing his disease. His parents are not going to "help him to better manage" his asthma, THEY are the ones who are in charge of managing it. They are also not going to teach Thomas how to self-administer his medications- they are going to administer them. In a few years, Thomas may want to help but children don't generally take full responsibility for their medications/medical conditions until they are at least teenagers. And even then, it's shared responsibility with the parents until they are 18.