Resources for
School Nurses
Asthma Care • Medicaid Support • Parent Quick Fact Sheets• Quick-Access Tools
A practical resource collection with clickable links
SNAC-S • School Nurse Link • Asthma Manual • Coverage Resources
How the Resources Work Together
Resources for School Nurses
Think of these resources as a pathway from identifying an asthma concern to connecting the family with support.
1
Identify concern
Symptoms, reliever use, absences, or parent questions
›
2
Support asthma care
SNAC-S, SMART recordings, manual, and inhaler guidance
›
3
Connect to services
School Nurse Link, MCO resources, Medicaid support
›
4
Follow up
Share links, document needs, and revisit care plan
OUTCOME • Quick, practical options for education, care coordination, and family resource connection.
A resource set with one clear message
Is asthma controlled?
Compare well-controlled and not-well-controlled signs.
Is reliever use too frequent?
Encourage timely follow-up when quick-relief use increases.
Could SMART therapy help?
Give parents a plain-language overview to discuss with the clinician.
What is asthma?
Explain symptoms, triggers, medicines, and when to get urgent help.
Each handout is designed for quick parent teaching and follow-up conversations.
Understanding Asthma in Children
What it explains
Asthma affects the lungs and breathing tubes; airways can become swollen, tight, and filled with mucus.
What families learn to watch for
Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and trouble keeping up with play or exercise.
How it supports action
Identifies common triggers, explains quick-relief and controller medicines, and lists urgent warning signs.
School nurse teaching moment
Use this handout when a parent needs the big picture before discussing next steps or an action plan.
Asthma: Not Well Controlled vs. Well Controlled
Simple side-by-side comparison
Shows not-well-controlled signs next to the goal of well-controlled asthma.
Red flags to discuss
Symptoms more than 2 days a week, nighttime coughing, flare-ups, missed school, or reliever use more than 2 days a week.
Reinforces partnership
Reminds parents to follow the asthma action plan, communicate with school, keep checkups, and ask for help.
School nurse teaching moment
Use after symptoms are reported or an ACT score suggests control may be slipping.
When Frequent Reliever Inhaler Use
Means Follow Up
Clear follow-up thresholds
Follow-up is needed when reliever use is more than 2 days a week, more often than every 4 hours, symptoms return quickly, or use is increasing.
Why it matters
Frequent reliever need can signal airway inflammation and asthma that is not under good control.
What parents can do
Follow the action plan, give controller medicine as prescribed, track symptoms and inhaler use, and contact the child's doctor.
School nurse teaching moment
Use when a student asks for the rescue inhaler often or school staff notice repeated symptoms.
SMART Therapy for Asthma
Plain-language definition
SMART means Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy: one inhaler used for daily control and quick symptom relief.
Potential benefits highlighted
The guide notes fewer attacks, improved breathing, lower emergency visits, and better control.
Parent tips included
Use as prescribed, use a spacer, practice technique, keep the inhaler available, and attend regular asthma checkups.
School nurse teaching moment
Use when asthma is not controlled or frequent rescue use suggests a need to discuss updated treatment options.
Asthma at School: Know the Basics.
Know SMART.
RESOURCE HIGHLIGHTS
• A practical school-nurse guide to asthma control, controller therapy, and SMART.
• Highlights signs of asthma that is not well controlled, including frequent albuterol use and repeated symptoms.
• Explains maintenance/controller medication and the role of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).
• Introduces SMART: the same prescribed ICS-formoterol inhaler for maintenance and symptom relief.
• Reinforces following the student’s written Asthma Action Plan and communicating increasing reliever use.
Inhalers Don’t Fail — Technique Does.
RESOURCE HIGHLIGHTS
• Positions inhalation coaching as part of asthma treatment.
• Encourages “Show me how you use it” rather than simply asking whether the student knows how.
• Reviews spacer/valved holding chamber benefits and mask vs. mouthpiece technique.
• Provides a 30-second coaching check: SHAKE → SEAL → ONE PUFF → SLOW BREATH → RECHECK.
• School nurse pearl: every asthma medication visit is an opportunity for inhaler coaching.
Missouri Healthy Schools & SNAC-S
Resources for School Nurses
Your main landing place for asthma support, curated resources, and school-nurse webinar recordings.
SNAC-S
School Nurse Asthma Care Support resources and ongoing learning opportunities.
Resource List
A curated document of frequently used school-nurse asthma and family-support resources.
Webinar Recordings
Recorded SNAC-S sessions that can be revisited or shared with colleagues.
TIP • Save these links to your desktop or favorites
Featured Recording: Let’s Be SMART About Asthma Management
SNAC-S WEBINAR
Resources for School Nurses
FEATURED
Let’s Be SMART About
Asthma Management
Presented by Dr. Dave Stukus, MD
Professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University and vice president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 • 2:00 PM
Passcode: 8v!&M*M*
Why watch?
A focused update on SMART therapy and practical asthma-management concepts for school nurses.
Additional SNAC-S Recordings
Resources for School Nurses
Understanding Missouri’s Medicaid Program for Children
Presented by Earlene K. Bolton, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
Boot Camp for School Nurses — Session 1: Eligibility, Enrollment and More Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Passcode: +C@Y6h=u
SMART Therapy
Presentation by Ragini Kapoor, MD, University of Missouri School of Medicine
(Pediatric Pulmonologist)
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Passcode: +wdFJJK1
School Nurse Link
Resources for School Nurses
A central place to locate managed-care resources and family-support options; access to nurse care managers for case management assistance
Managed Care Organizations
Healthy Blue
Home State Health
UnitedHealthcare
Website Navigation
Use the site to find MCO contacts, member resources, coverage guidance, and helpful handouts.
Resource Examples
Transportation • telehealth • added benefits • chronic conditions • vision • dental
School Nurse Link: Family Support Resources
Resources for School Nurses
Transportation
Transportation resources that may help families get to care.
Telehealth
Telehealth options that may help families access care.
Added Benefits
Examples of extra benefits available through managed care.
Vision + Dental
Find participating vision and dental resources.
CHRONIC CONDITIONS • Asthma • Diabetes
Home State Health Asthma Waves
Assisting with Medicaid & Assistance Programs
Resources for School Nurses
When families need help with coverage or public benefits, these are practical starting points for applications and referrals.
DSS Medicaid Application
Missouri Department of Social Services application page for healthcare coverage.
School Nurse Link
Coverage-assistance page to help school nurses support eligible families.
Legal Services
Public-benefits assistance through Legal Services of Southern Missouri.
Best use: keep these links ready for families who need help after an asthma follow-up, emergency visit, or care-coordination conversation.
Asthma Care Reference Tools
Resources for School Nurses
Missouri School Asthma Manual
Digital version of the Missouri School Asthma Manual for school-based asthma care information.
$35 Asthma Inhaler Resource
AAFA article explaining what families need to know about the $35 price cap on asthma inhalers.
Helpful Resources: use the manual for school-care planning and the inhaler-cost resource when cost may be a barrier to medication access.
Quick Access Resource Hub
Resources for School Nurses
ASTHMA & SNAC-S
FAMILY SUPPORT
SNAC-S WEBINAR RECORDINGS