Creation and implementation of SAMPRO™: A school-based asthma management program.

Clinicians who care for children with asthma have an obligation to coordinate asthma care with the schools. Aside from routine clinical care of asthmatic children, providers must educate the family and child about the need for an asthma treatment plan in school and support the school nurse meeting the needs of the student requiring school-based asthma care. The following article was developed by multiple stakeholders to address this need. It describes the 4 components of the School-based Asthma Management Program (SAMPRO™). SAMPRO™ details elements necessary for the education of children, families, clinicians, and school-based personnel based on a "circle of support" that would enhance multidirectional communication and promote better care for children with asthma within the school setting.

NASN's first evidence-based clinical guidelines: asthma.

Evidence-based clinical guidelines assist health care providers to ensure best practices. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has developed the organization's first evidence-based clinical guidelines to assist school nurses to practice at their highest level and in response to a direct request by members. This guideline focuses on asthma; more guidelines will follow. This article provides an overview identifying why clinical guidelines are important, how the guidelines were developed, and guidance to school nurses on how to interpret and use the guidelines.

School program for screening students at risk for diabetes: the School Nurse Childhood Obesity Prevention Education program.

Accurate height and weight and BMI assessment by the school nurse is the first step in identifying students at risk for developing type 2 diabetes or other health consequences. Additional screening for children at or above the 95th percentile for BMI identifies those students most at risk. MAP affiliate sites indicate that when this assessment and communication is done in a private, sensitive, and caring manner--with emphasis on the health of the child-parents/ guardians are receptive to the information. School nurses, with the knowledge and skills provided by the S.C.O.P.E. program, alert parents/guardians to address their children's health risks and contact their health care providers. School nurses are also taught how they can provide guidance for school leadership and community coalitions to incorporate effective changes to food and physical activity offerings to students. The S.C.O.P.E. program can enhance the role of the school nurse in the global fight against childhood obesity so school-age children are healthy and ready to learn.

Current clinical research on type 2 diabetes and its prevention in youth.

The SEARCH, TODAY, and HEALTHY studies, and NASN's SCOPE intervention, illustrate that collaboration between schools, school nurses, clinicians, students, and families can help treat and prevent diabetes and obesity in youth. Findings will help identify the prevalence of diabetes in young people, the best ways to treat youth with new-onset type 2 diabetes, and healthful practices that can reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Findings about diabetes prevention in the school setting can guide school nurses and school leadership to incorporate effective changes into food and physical activity offerings to students. Finally, school nurses can communicate with primary care providers and provide culturally sensitive letters to parents and guardians regarding the BMI results for the child.

Health seeking behaviors of Haitian families for their school aged children.

Providing culturally sensitive health care to diverse groups would be enhanced by better understanding of their experiences with the health care system and perceptions of health and illness. Haitians comprise an immigrant group that has increased dramatically in the United States over the past three decades. The purposes of this study were to identify the health seeking behaviors of Haitian parents for their school-aged children and the barriers they experienced in obtaining health care services. Sixty-two Haitian parents and guardians were interviewed. Findings highlighted a lack of health insurance coverage, frequent use of private providers, general satisfaction with health care services, and strong parental values regarding preventive health care behaviors. Parents also reported the combined use of traditional remedies and biomedical treatments during their child's illness episodes. Implications for practice and future research with Haitian parents and children are identified.