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Rosalind Franklin University
Giving Back at RFU

College Connection

by Joseph DeSantis College of Pharmacy Class of 2019, ICHP Treasurer

At Rosalind Franklin University, our ICHP chapter puts great emphasis on patient advocacy and community outreach. During the Winter quarter, we wanted to extend our patient outreach to a population we thought could use more attention. We contacted a local elementary school in Waukegan, IL, and participated in the “Kicking Asthma” event sponsored by the American Lung Association. The goal of this event was to educate children on how to manage asthma and prevent asthma exacerbations. It is important for children of this age to learn about asthma, not only because it might affect them personally, but they might also have friends or family who are affected as well. Most students that attended were referred by the school nurses that are diagnosed with asthma but students without an asthma diagnosis were in attendance.

The event was divided into 4 different sessions, each with their own learning objectives. In the first session, we introduced and reviewed the basics of asthma and provided general information about how asthma exacerbations affect the lungs. In addition, we emphasized recognizing common signs and symptoms of an asthma attack. Lastly, we asked participants to identify personal goals that can help them to maintain control of their asthma.

The second session focused on preventing asthma exacerbations and identifying asthma triggers and warning signs. This session allowed participants to identify their own specific triggers and signs that an asthma attack is imminent to help them either avoid or prevent an asthma exacerbation. During this session we emphasized the importance of regular doctor visits for follow-up and medication review.

The third session focused on medications to control asthma. We discussed how each medication works for treating asthma and preventing exacerbations. Proper technique for specific inhalers was demonstrated for each inhaler and we discussed proper storage requirements. We stressed the importance of medication adherence, as this can help prevent asthma symptoms and exacerbations.

The fourth and final session focused on tying everything together. We taught the participants what to do in emergency situations and helped them find solutions to problems if something in their asthma plan did not go exactly as expected.

This event was a great way for us to build a relationship with our community while being able to help future generations. The children who we interacted with were all very excited and happy to attend each session. A lot of healthcare professionals do not have the opportunity to interact with the pediatric population. I would recommend this to everyone because children are not only a joy to be around but they are our future as well.