Asthma Courses atEducation for Health

At Education for Health, we create and deliver courses forhealthcare professionals to ensure you feel confident whensupporting patients with long term conditions. One of ourspecialist areas is respiratory health, including asthma. Our Asthma Education Lead, Viv Marsh, and three of ourformer students share their experience of asthma, studying,and how Education for Health courses have helped developtheir knowledge, skills and patient care. Asthma is the most common long term condition in the UK,with more than 5 million people of all ages affected (source:NHS).

Introduction

Our Asthma Lead on Educationfor Health's Asthma Offering

Education for Health Asthma EducationLead Viv Marsh writes about our asthma

offering and the continued need forasthma education.

I joined Education for Health as the ClinicalEducation Lead for asthma in 2013, having spentthe previous seven years working as a PaediatricAsthma and Allergy Nurse Specialist in the NHS.Prior to that, I had been a school nurse for eightyears and before that a senior staff nurse of acutepaediatric medicine for five years. So, although Iam both a Registered General Nurse and aRegistered Sick Children’s Nurse, mycommitment to healthcare for children andyoung people runs deep. When my colleagues in the NHS heard that I wasjoining Education for Health I was contactednumerous times with requests to ”bring back thepaediatric asthma diploma and this has been verymuch on my mind ever since. Bringing back anacademically accredited module in paediatricasthma was not a realistic goal; the demand wastoo low to cover the costs (it costs a lot to validatean educational module with a Higher EducationInstitute). So, I had to think about this in different ways.What’s more, Education for Health has such astrong heritage in providing education for primarycare that expanding to the needs in secondarycare seemed to be a real challenge. However, withthe support of a fantastic Education team, a wayforward was found and great progress has beenmade. Education for Health now offers academicallyaccredited asthma education modules atdiploma, degree and masters level.

These are suitable for a variety ofHealthcare Professionals. This integratedapproach not only widens access to qualityassured education, it also supports thegoals of the NHS for clinicians to work inpartnership with other professionalsinvolved in patients’ healthcare. I am seeing an increasing number ofpaediatric nurses from all over the UKsuccessfully completing our asthmamodules and most recently there has beena surge in demand for degree and masterslevel study. It is now possible for paediatricnurses to complete a full BSc degree orMSc in Respiratory Practice;

Viv Marsh

Education for Health Asthma EducationLead, Viv Marsh, writes about our asthma

offering and the continued need forasthma education.

Making an impact througheducation

I think this offers tangible options forpaediatric nurses wanting to specialise in therespiratory field, which is really exciting.With support from Education for Health, theNational Paediatric Respiratory and AllergyNurses Group (NPRANG) have been able todevelop an annual poster competition for itsmembers and this is now being used as aforum for Paediatric Nurses to share examplesof good practice and innovative projects. Education for Health continue to sponsor aneducational award as the first prize in therespiratory poster stream of this competition.We also continue to offer our Introduction toPaediatric Asthma workshop, aimed atprofessionals in primary care including schoolnurses and health visitors and most recentlywe have developed a workshop for thoseworking in acute care settings to support theassessment, management and safe dischargeof children experiencing asthma attacks. On a final note, Education for Health hasworked in partnership with the George CollerMemorial Fund to develop and make freelyavailable a simple online training resource. This aims to raise awareness of paediatricasthma amongst non-healthcare 

When I look back on the past six years, I think itis fair to say we have come along in leaps andbounds. Education for Health now offers arange of high quality, flexible education andtraining options suitable for those working withchildren and young people with asthma andother respiratory conditions. And whenconsidering current health circumstances, I can’thelp but think that this is crucial. A recent study from the Nuffield Trust thinktank and the Association for Young People’sHealth has emphasised the urgent need forfocus on paediatric asthma. The study foundthat death rates for asthma in 10 to 24-year-olds is highest in the UK when compared to 14other high-income European nations. Byoffering asthma education and training that isappropriate for paediatric nurses, I believe wecan improve this situation and really impact thelives of young people living with this long termcondition.

staff who work with children, such as teachers,guide/scout leaders and sports coaches.Supporting Children’s Health is a fantasticresource and it attracts thousands of new usersevery year, if you haven’t already seen it do takea look: www.supportingchildrenshealth.org

''If you are an Asthma Nurse, it isan essential course.''Education for Health alumna Colette Dattwrites about our asthma offering and the

continued need for asthma education. Asthma is the most common long termmedical condition among children and youngpeople in the UK with one million childrenreceiving treatment for asthma. Having up todate asthma healthcare knowledge is thereforehugely important as it can be used in serviceprovision to better support young people andchildren to manage their asthma condition.Colette Datt is a Nurse Consultant and herclinical work focuses on Paediatric Asthma andAllergy. Colette worked as a children’s communitynurse and an acute ward nurse with abackground in high dependency and intensivecare before becoming an asthma clinical nursespecialist. She said “I felt I needed sometheoretical knowledge to support me withdeveloping in the CNS asthma nurse role. I wasalso keen to network and meet other asthmanurses.

Colette Datt

Since studying with us on our Asthma Level 5course, Colette has co-written books foryounger children who have asthma, including‘Monkey Has an Asthma Attack’,  she won theresearch prize for her MSc dissertation and wonthe Nursing Times Nurse Leader of the year in2018. She has presented at local, National andEuropean conferences on Asthma and led theAsthma friendly schools project in Islington,which has just been published in the BritishJournal of School Nursing (March 2019).

''Upon completing my Asthma Level 5 course Igained expert knowledge, more confidenceand competence to do my job. I learnt lotsfrom other nurses on the course and got ideasof how to develop my service. The tutors werevery knowledgeable and supportive.” “My learning experience with Education forHealth gave me a baseline to develop into aconfident and competent asthma nurse. I wasthen encouraged to go on and study for anMSc in Allergy which I have done. “It gave me the confidence to do the MSc andpropelled me to become a specialist in myfield and become a nurse consultant.

“If you are an asthma nurse, this is an essentialand very relevant course – I would encourageall asthma nurses to do this asthma course – itis a good standard for a general acute paediatricor community nurse – it will enhance theirpractice.”

Why study Asthma withEducation for Health?

A case study following alumna KarenRodesano's journey through and beyondher Asthma studies.

Karen Rodesano

Developing accurate and up to date knowledgein asthma is essential for all healthcareprofessionals in primary care and secondary carewho care for people with asthma, includingpaediatric nurses. Karen Rodesano, who studied an Asthma Level 5module with Education for Health, started hercareer as a band 2 nurse in 1999 at the RoyalFree Hospital after working in retail managementfor a few years. She said: We asked Karen how she has put her knowledgeinto practice: “I have learnt to teach others,parents, children, young people, students andother health professionals.

“After qualifying as a paediatric nurse in2003, I have built my career up to band 7,and I am challenging myself to see if I canmake it to band 8 before I retire. “After taking this Asthma Level 5 course, Ihave gained more insight and knowledgearound asthma which has improved thequality of my work in the community.”

Since studying with Education for Health, Karenhas gone on to work in various roles including as astaff nurse, school nurse and paediatric nurse,before continuing her professional developmentin her first specialist role as a Looked AfterChildren Specialist Nurse. Karen is now working asa Project Lead for Asthma and Allergy FriendlyIslington Schools.

“It is great to have a qualification specificto asthma and this will be included in myrevalidation, and is good on my CV shouldI ever want to apply for anotherrespiratory role”.

Courses that we offer andcommissioned courses

Asthma Level 5 ModuleAsthma Level 6 ModuleAsthma Update Half Day WorkshopAsthma Update WorkshopIntroduction to Paediatric Asthma WorkshopOptimising Asthma Management Level 7 Module

We offer the following Asthma related courses:

As well as our regular course dates held in Warwick and London, Educationfor Health can also organise delivery of the following courses anywhere in

the UK, for commissioners looking for education for cohorts of students.

Asthma Update half day or full day workshopImproving Inhaler Technique half day or full day workshop

Introduction to Asthma workshopIntroduction to Paediatric Asthma workshop

Allergic Rhinitis and its’ Impact on Asthma full day workshopAsthma Level 5 module (eLearning with two study days)Asthma Level 6 module (eLearning with two study days)

In addition we also have workshops specifically for school nurses and health visitors,and a new workshop for those working in acute care settings to support theassessment, management and safe discharge of children experiencing asthma attacks.Contact us on nhsteam@educationforhealth.org to find out more about any of theseworkshops or courses.

Contact UsWeb: www.educationforhealth.org  Phone: 01926 838969  Email: contact@educationforhealth.orgAddress: The Athenaeum  10 Church Street    Warwick    CV34 4AB

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