Bronaugh/Sheldon school nurse teaches school employees about asthma

By Colette Lefebvre

Nevada Daily Mail

Sandy Castlebury, a local school nurse for the Bronaugh/Sheldon school systems has recently received training that allows her to teach local sports coaches about asthma. Asthma, can certainly inhibit most children from participating in sports, but this year will be different.

The Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, e-mailed Castlebury, regarding this new program. And she jumped at the opportunity. Not, only will she be training coaches but faculty and staff will receive in house training on asthma, precautions, procedures and other such information. "It was an application for rural school nurses to teach coaches of kids ages 5-18. There was an online program, written materials and a development of an action plan to consider." said Castlebury. So far, she has trained 8 out of 10 coaches. They have been trained on the "signs and symptoms" relating to asthma, and ways in which coaches can prevent an asthma attack.

The program for coaches is called the Asthma Clipboard Program, and it is the dawning of a new initiative to help children with asthma participate in sports related activities.

"I didn't have to pay for the course, that is the beauty of America." said Castlebury. Most of the asthma cases that Castlebury has are allergen-induced, environmentally-triggered asthma cases.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, asthma is the most common serious chronic disease of childhood, affecting nearly 5 million children in the United States. Asthma in children is the cause of almost 3 million visits to the doctor's office and 200,000 hospitalizations each year.

"Up to 80 percent of children with asthma develop symptoms before age 5. The child's physician must rely heavily on parents' observations to make a proper diagnosis." states the Academy.

The goal that most healthcare providers aim at are to manage the asthma or control it so that the children may indeed enjoy a semblance of a normal life. It is important to note, that currently asthma cannot be cured.

Missouri Health officials are trying to bring the role of the school nurse to a higher level.

According to Castlebury, if a family cannot get to a physician they are now encouraged to visit with their school nurses who then would counsel the family, provide them with information and refer them to a physician in the area or even a specialist. Castlebury, alerts coaches that certain signs and symptoms to watch for are "shortness of breath, does the child stop what they are doing -- slowing down bending over and sometimes their will be nasal flaring, which is the worst case." said Castlebury.

Her training advises coaches to "sit the child down, administer the emergency inhaler, wait 15 minutes and if the symptoms are not alleviated, administer the inhaler once again." stated Castlebury. "If the child is not breathing normally, contact the parents and if the parents are not available, its time to call 911."

"I figure I have impacted 100 kids, that will probably play safer sports. That is a pretty good objective." exclaimed Castlebury.

For more information on the program visit www.winningwithasthma.org.