Teachers were not well prepared to help children with asthma in the classroom. Teachers reported that they did not receive enough workshops on chronic illness even though they identified that on average they have 4 children with asthma in the classroom. Teachers did not feel prepared to teach children with asthma. Fears over medical emergencies, medication administration, and liability issues may prohibit teachers from feeling comfortable with the classroom management of a child with asthma. National guidelines were not followed; teachers were not trained.
Teachers’ knowledge from rural elementary schools about asthma was low. Very few teachers identified the actions to take. The intention to manage children with asthma in the classroom was very high. Teachers who had asthma did not have a higher knowledge than those who did not have asthma. Teachers may feel vulnerable in caring for a child with asthma; additional support from other coworkers appeared to be beneficial. Poor adherence to national guidelines; teachers were not knowledgeable.
Teacher knowledge on asthma was low regardless of teacher’s educational background, whether teacher had asthma or not, and whether the teacher worked at elementary or middle school. Teachers received little training about asthma and its management. By providing asthma education to teachers they could become leaders in managing asthma in the schools. National guidelines were not followed.
The majority of teachers correctly identified potential triggers, with the exception of cockroaches and laughing. Most teachers 54.5% (84/154) took steps related to trigger avoidance, and few took steps to coordinate medical care 5.2% (8/154) or to monitor the children. Most teachers reported contacting or sending a child with symptoms to the school nurse 65.4% (87/133), with only 8.1% (7/87) of these teachers specifying the student was sent to the nurse for medication. Only 18.0% (24/133) notified parents when students had symptoms in school. Almost half the teachers 46.7% (148/317) reported initiating communication with the school nurse regarding asthma; of these, 95.3% (141/148) described the nature of the communication. Although teachers reported discussing between one and three topics, the vast majority 81.6% (115/141) initiated discussion on only one topic. National guidelines were not followed.
The majority (85.3%, = 29) reported that they received no formal training on asthma during their coursework. Only 32.4% ( = 11) reported having received training on asthma during teacher in-service at their current place of employment. Fifty percent ( = 17) of the teachers felt that they were unable to manage a child experiencing an acute asthma attack, with 29.4% ( = 10) feeling unsure of their capabilities. Twenty-nine (85.3%) of the participants reported that it would be helpful to have educational sessions on asthma. National guidelines were not followed.
The concern most frequently expressed by the educators was fear that the educator might not know how to respond if one of the children had a medical emergency in the classroom or school. Teachers described possible emergencies as seizures, asthma attacks, or diabetic reactions. Some of the teachers also indicated that nurses not being present on school grounds were a barrier to asthma management.
Asthma knowledge increased postintervention. Teachers felt better recognizing asthma symptoms and administering medication. A school nurse was not always on school grounds. Teachers were not trained. Nurses were not always on school grounds.
