Asthma care coordination in schools by school nurses: An integrative literature review.

Abstract

The purpose of this integrative literature review is to document and synthesize the available evidence on school nurse asthma care coordination challenges and explain the components of asthma care coordination/case management at schools. The Whittemore and Knafl guidelines were followed for this integrative literature review. Twelve diverse primary sources-one qualitative study, eight quantitative studies, and three mixed-method studies-were used for the review. Data were analyzed using the matrix method. A total of 12 papers met the inclusion criteria. The initial group categorization was based on variables, patterns, and conceptual classification. Results were divided into two categorizations of asthma care coordination program components and asthma care coordination challenges at schools; subthemes were identified under the categorizations. The results showed that care coordination was key for students with chronic diseases including asthma. Asthma care coordination has many challenges, but school nurses can drive effective asthma care by including the essential components of care coordination. Successful asthma care coordination may prevent health care fragmentation, emergency room visits, hospitalization, and school absenteeism, and can increase asthma knowledge and the quality of life for students and parents.