Summary of Teaching Plan
Peanut allergy is a common type of food allergy which occurs in both adults and children. Peanut allergy occurs when the immune system identifies the proteins found in peanuts as harmful to the body. Peanuts allergy leads to the release of histamine by the immune system leads to an allergic reaction. Peanut allergy is the leading cause of death related to food-induced anaphylaxis, especially in children ( Gray, 2020) . Anaphylaxis reaction is a sudden and potentially deadly condition that requires immediate treatment. In the new guideline, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' (NIAID) recommend the introduction of appropriate peanut-containing food to children as early as 11 months. In the United States, many schools have declared "nut-free" and restrict parents from packing foods containing peanuts to children. Awareness of about peanuts allergy in children has risen significantly due to increases in allergy cases. According to ACAAI Public Website (2014 ), cases of peanut allergy in 2017 rose by 21% since 2010, with more than 2.5 % of US children reporting allergic to peanuts. There are several misconceptions related to peanuts allergies, making it difficult to understand the actual cause and treatment of the allergy. Parents, school-age children, and the staff of the Babycare hospital emergency outpatient area need to understand what to do in case of a peanut-allergic reaction. The people of Clearwater Florida, US, need to understand the best ways to prevent peanut allergy among children.
Epidemiological Rationale for Topic
The city of Clearwater Florida, US, is located in the county of Pinellas northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. The city reports high cases of children with a peanut allergy, with many instances of Baby care hospitals emergencies been anaphylaxis. Many parents, school-going children, and staff of baby care hospital centers are not well informed on the best treatment and care for children with peanut allergy. When children get exposed to peanut allergy, they end up with severe life-threatening impact, which requires frequent visits to the emergency rooms. The most common symptoms of peanuts reaction among children include vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach cramps, difficulty in breathing, weak pulse, and repetitive cough ( ACAAI Public Website,2014) . Children who get peanut allergy reactions in the Clearwater community get rushed to Babycare hospital emergency outpatient for treatment. Children who have this allergic reaction suffers from social isolation as parents prevent them from exposing others to peanut allergens. Parents are always concerned about their children when they visit friends or go to schools because the children lack adequate control of themselves. Community nurses have a huge responsibility to educate parents, school-going children, and Baby care hospital emergencies of preventive measures of peanut allergy and the best time to seek medical assistance. Due to the rising cases of peanut allergy in the Clearwater community, community nurses need to organize several preventative education programs.
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Evaluation of Teaching Experience
Planning of community education program began by evaluation of the location to understand the region, which is at most risk for peanut allergy. The nurse would also assess the population of children who are at high risk of developing this allergic reaction and the population involved in providing treatment and management. The nurse needs first to familiarize with Clearwater Florida, US-primarily the parents, school-age child, and the staff of Babycare hospital emergency outpatient who requires information on prevention of peanut allergy. The nurse needs to gather information on the conception surrounding peanut allergy in the community, prevention method applied, and treatment offered in the emergency outpatients' facilities. The nurse will then use the data collected to prepare a presentation for the education forum.
A simple, appealing PowerPoint presentation was developed and projected using a laptop to aid in the education program. The PowerPoint contained catchy images and graphics, illustrating the development, diagnosis, and treatment of the reaction among children. The first education forum was held on January 17, 2020, at Babycare hospital , Mary Hall. Special handouts containing PowerPoint presentations were designed for visually impaired people. Several handouts were issued to the participants for future reference. There were approximately 370 participants; 180 parents, 100 school-going children, and 90 health officials and community leaders. Parents were accompanied by their children who were diagnosed with a peanut allergy while 80 other parents had small children whom they thought were at risk of developing the allergy and required to be well informed of preventive strategies.
The education forum began at ten o’clock in the morning after welcoming all participants. The presentation started with a question to get every participant to think about the possible causes of peanut allergies and the risk factors. The teacher began with a question, "How many people in here have ever experienced hypersensitive or anaphylaxis reaction after consuming food containing peanuts products?” The teacher went ahead to explain that peanut allergy is a severe illness among children, and medical attention should be sought in case of symptoms of reaction on children. One of the preventative strategies recommended an early introduction of peanut-products food to infants. Children who get introduced to peanut at a young age have a lower risk of getting allergy in the future ( Gray, 2020) . Parents need to take children to an allergist where a skin test or blood test is conducted. If the child is allergic, the allergist recommends the best peanuts-products to eat or avoid in the future. The presentation went ahead to explain risk factors for peanut reaction and diagnosis criteria.
The presentation went on for one and a half hours. The teacher allowed the participants to ask relevant questions on the topic of preventing peanut allergic reactions in children. The teacher answered all the questions in depth and gave an evaluation tool for every participant to fill. Before closing the education forum, the teacher rewarded every participant with a peanut-free baked cake, hard candy, and ink pens. The education forum ended at 12.30 in the afternoon after thanking all the participants. While tidying up the room, one of the participants came and told the teacher of her experience with peanut reaction five years ago. The participant sobbed as she explained how she lost her five-year-old son from an anaphylaxis reaction. She could have helped him sooner if she knows of risk factors and preventions for this reaction.
Community Response to Teaching
Community nurse at BabyCare Hospital explained that thee education forum for preventing allergic reaction was very successful. Participants from Clearwater Florida, US were very grateful and complimented the teacher for the excellent presentation. Various questions asked and answered after the presentation evaluated the objectives for the teaching. The goals and objectives set for this forum to offer adequate information on allergic reactions and preventive measures among children were successfully met. According to the evaluation goal, the participants showed satisfaction with the information provided and said that the teacher acted professionally during the presentation. The hall at BabyCare Hospital, where the education forum was held, was adequate and spacious to accommodate more than 500 participants. The sitting arrangement was excellent, and all the equipment required for a PowerPoint presentation were available.
According to the participant's response, the educator needed to improve on the quality of print outs. Most parents, especially those aged 40 years and above, felt that the font was too small. Most participants showed an interest in the inclusion of culturally diverse participants to broaden several questions, especially those involving eating habits. Also, the participants showed a need for holding discussions after the presentation.
The participants were parents, school-age children, and the staff of the Babycare hospital emergency outpatient area. The information provided was meant to help them recognize risk factors of peanut allergy, preventative measures, and management of the reaction. The education was designed to help parents determine when their children have a peanut allergy to put precautious measures. Through the education forum, the staff at BabyCare hospital emergency outpatients’ area learned the symptoms of the reaction and immediate treatment to give to the child when brought to the clinic. Most preventive measures presented are related to eating lifestyle, which is challenging to change. Therefore, the nurse needs to do follow up in the future to determine whether the community education forum made any difference.
Areas of Strengths and Areas of Improvement
One of the significant strengths noted in the education forum was effective communication between the teacher and participants. The discussion was open and honest, making it easy for the participants to accept the credibility of the information. Also, the structure of the PowerPoint was concise and appealing. The presentation was engaging and informative to all participants. Evaluation tool, which was filled by all participants, helped the educator to examine the nature of the presentation, and identify areas of improvement in the future.
The two weaknesses of the education plan revealed was on advertisement and cultural barriers. According to the nurse, advertisement for this education forum was advertised two weeks earlier hence the low turnout compared to the number of children suffering from peanut reaction at the Clearwater community. If the advertisement was conducted at least one month earlier, many people could have joined the education forum. The educator also faced the challenge of cultural barriers. Her Italian culture crashed with that of Clearwater, Florida. Another weakness was the use of two advertisement channels. Very few people were aware of the education program.
Conclusion
Primary prevention for peanut allergy is required in many US communities since it is among the leading cause of childhood death in the US. Community members need to be educated on preventive strategies, symptoms, and when to seek emergency care treatment for children who show a reaction to peanut allergy. There are many conceptions surrounding peanuts reaction allergies in the community that hinder earlier treatment and effective prognosis. Teaching the community about preventive measures is a vital role of community nurses. Educating parents, school going kids, and staff at emergency outpatients’ clinics help understand peanuts allergies and recommended lifestyle for such children.
References
Gray, C. L. (2020). Current Controversies and Future Prospects for Peanut Allergy Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapies. Journal of Asthma and Allergy , 13 , 51.
Killam, L., & Carter, L. (2010). Challenges to the student nurse on clinical placement in the rural setting: a review of the literature.
Peanut Allergy Precautions | Culture of Safety . Cultureofsafety.thesilverlining.com. (2020). Retrieved 13 March 2020, from https://cultureofsafety.thesilverlining.com/safety-tips/peanut-allergy-precautions/ .
Peanut Allergy . ACAAI Public Website. (2014). Retrieved 13 March 2020, from https://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies/types-food-allergy/peanut-allergy .
