SN Asthma | DHHS Healthy Environments Active Living

Each plan plays a specific role in managing a student’s asthma care at school to make sure everyone involved understands how to provide daily and emergency support.

Asthma action plan (AAP)

What it’s for: Lists daily and emergency asthma care instructions from the healthcare provider.
Who writes it: The student’s doctor, with input from the school nurse and parent/guardian.
Utah note: This plan includes permission to use medication and can also work as an emergency action plan (EAP).

Individualized health care plan (IHP)

What it’s for: Explains how asthma care will be managed at school. It is a written document developed by the school nurse using the nursing process, which includes assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Who writes it: The school nurse for their use.
Important note: The IHP is needed if asthma care tasks are shared with other staff.

Emergency action plan (EAP)

What it’s for: Summarizes what to do in an asthma emergency so staff know how to help.
Who writes it: The school nurse.
Who sees it: All staff who support the student.

Utah resources:

Utah Asthma Guidelines 2024
Utah Standards of Care: Asthma 2024
Resources for Schools (DHHS)
E-Asthma Tracker An online tool to track asthma symptoms and manage care

National resources

Stock albuterol is an emergency medication used to treat asthma symptoms in students. Schools can keep it available for use if a student has an asthma diagnosis, a current asthma action plan on file, and shows signs of an asthma emergency.

Participation in stock albuterol programs is voluntary for schools. Schools are not required to provide stock albuterol but may choose to participate by training staff and making stock albuterol available for emergencies.

Obtaining stock albuterol through standing order:

As of August 2024, stock albuterol can be obtained through a standing order. The standing order is still being finalized, so if your school does not have a medical provider to fill out the prescription, reach out to Sami Bushnell at [email protected] for help with this process.

Stock albuterol blank Rx 2024 (docx)

Schools can access stock albuterol through a standing order provided by a school district physician, local health department medical director, or department healthcare provider.

Training requirements:

Any school staff who administer stock albuterol must complete initial and annual training provided by the department. The training covers how to recognize asthma emergencies, proper storage and use of stock albuterol, and emergency follow-up steps.

Schools are encouraged to have more than one staff member trained to administer stock albuterol to ensure coverage and availability in case of an asthma emergency.

After training, staff should keep the written materials for reference.

Asthma in Schools: Stock Albuterol Training canvas (2020)

Administration of stock albuterol:

In the absence of a school nurse, a trained staff member may administer stock albuterol to a student experiencing asthma symptoms.

After administering, follow up with emergency medical services or appropriate medical contacts as outlined in the training materials.

Immunity from liability:

Staff members and schools that act in good faith when administering stock albuterol in an emergency are protected from liability. This immunity covers actions taken under the law to assist students with asthma emergencies.

Storage:

Stock albuterol must be stored according to state standards to make sure it is accessible in an emergency but secure to prevent misuse.

Parental responsibility:

Schools should remind parents that stock albuterol is for emergency use only and does not replace a student’s personal inhaler. Parents must still provide their child’s prescribed asthma medications.