Asthma Educators Institute

Introductory and Advanced Seminars for Asthma Educators

A Medical Education Program for Health Care Professionals

The Asthma Educators Institute at Partners Asthma Center: One-day, in-depth symposia presenting the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective Asthma Educator and to prepare for the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) examination.

Appropriate for Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Respiratory Therapists, Pharmacists, and Asthma Case Managers

Presented by Partners Asthma Center, a collaboration among asthma specialists at:

  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
  • Massachusetts General Hospital,
  • Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital,
  • Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and
  • North Shore Medical Center

in collaboration with American Lung Association of Massachusetts.

Course Description

Our introductory program, Becoming an Asthma Educator: Learning to Teach Patients and Families About Asthma, was first offered in 2003 to high acclaim. The format combines lectures, question-and answer sessions, case discussions, and hands-on demonstrations to maximize understanding about effective asthma education for young children, school children, and adults. We review in detail the recommendations of the Expert Panel 3 (2007) of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program regarding staging of disease, assessment of control, and treatment..

On completion of this program, we anticipate that participants will be well prepared to take and pass the Certification Examination offered by the National Asthma Educator Certification Board.

In addition, this year we again offer our special, one-day program for nurses, trainers, coaches, and others who may share in responsibility for the wellbeing of athletes with asthma ... or anyone with asthma who enjoys exercising and sports. Sports, Exercise, and Asthma will focus on exercise-induced asthma. Among the topics to be discussed are the mechanisms by which exercise can provoke asthmatic symptoms, how to assess the student-athlete for asthma, and how exercise-induced asthma is assessed, treated, and prevented. We will consider the use of pulmonary function testing for confirmation of the diagnosis of asthma and other conditions that may mimic exercise-induced asthma. Discussion will include special considerations around obesity and asthma and special programs designed for children with asthma.

An Asthma Educator Preceptorship can be arranged for those wishing individual or smallgroup (maximum = 5) teaching in asthma education. The Preceptorship gives you the opportunity to design a unique self-study program. For information, call Elaine at 617-732-7419.

Our Becoming an Asthma Educator course is newly available on-line as a series of nine video modules with related, exam-type questions and answers at www.asthmalearning.org. For more information about this and our future on-line courses, please visit the website.

Comments from past course participants include:
“This conference was very informative and very organized. One of the best ones I have ever been to.”
"Relevant [and] easy to understand. Dealt with everyday situations.”
"Excellent seminar: speakers very well-informed, knowledgeable, and captivating.”

Program Schedules:

Introductory Program:
Becoming an Asthma Educator

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 – 8:35 Welcome/Orientation
8:35 – 9:20 Understanding and Teaching the Mechanisms of Asthma
9:20 – 9:50 The Asthma Guidelines: Diagnosis and Assessment of Asthma
9:50 – 10:30 The Asthma Guidelines: Ambulatory Management of Asthma
10:30 – 10 50 Coffee Break
10:50 – 11:20 Lung Function Measurements/Peak Flow
11:20 – 12:00 Noon Special Considerations in Children
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Assessing Allergic Sensitivity and Allergen Exposures
1:30 – 2:00 Inhalers and Inhalational Aids
2:00 – 2:30 Managing Asthmatic Attacks
2:30 – 3:00 Developing an Asthma Action Plan
3:00 – 3:45 Exhibits/Small Group Demonstrations
3:45 – 4:00 How to Prepare for the NAECB Exam
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Case Discussions


Advanced Program:
Sports, Exercise, and Asthma
(From the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonary
Medicine, MassGeneral Hospital for Children)

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 – 8:35 Welcome/Orientation
8:35 – 9:20 Mechanisms and Manifestations of Exercise-Induced Asthma
9:20 – 10:05 When Exercise Intolerance is NOT Asthma
10:05 – 10:30 Coffee Break
10:30 – 11:15 Preventing Asthma Symptoms during Exercise
11:15 – 12:00 Noon Managing Exercise-Induced Asthma Attacks in Children
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. Fighting Asthma with Fitness: Impact of Exercise on Asthma
1:45 – 2:30 Obesity and Asthma
2:30 – 3:00 Available Resouces for Active Children with Asthma
3:00 – 3:45 Exhibits/Small Group Demonstrations
3:45 – 4:30 p.m. Case Discussions

 

Sample Program:
Asthma Educators' Half-Day Preceptorship

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introduction Over Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 Introductory Lecture
9:15 – 10:00 Allergy Skin Testing and Allergen Avoidance: The "Nuts and Bolts"
10:00 – 10:30 Developing an Asthma Action Plan
10:30 – 11:15 Review of Pulmonary Function Tests
11:15 – 11:45 Asthma Devices — Hands-on Demonstration
11:45 – 12:15 p.m. Tips for Taking and Passing the NAECB Exam
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch and Discussion with Members of Partners Asthma Center

This program is offered as a sample only. It is meant to be modified to suit the specific learning needs of indivuals and small groups.

Faculty:

Program Directors:

  • Christopher H. Fanta, M.D.
  • Elaine Carter RN, AE-C,
  • Paul Nuccio, R.R.T., and

Newton-Wellesley Hospital:

  • Dennis Beer, M.D.

MassGeneral Hospital for Children:

  • Christina Scirica, M.D., M.P.H.

Faculty Members:

The faculty will draw on the resources of the Partners Asthma Center faculty and will vary with the site of the presentation.

Course Dates and Locations:

Each program will be offered on a Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., on campus at one of the hospitals listed below. Choose the date, topic and location best suited for you:

Schedule for 2013

Download the brochure.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton, MA
(Shipley Auditorium, Bowles Conference Center)

Saturday, September 28, 2013
Becoming an Asthma Educator

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA

Saturday,November 2, 2013
Sports, Exercise, and Asthma
 (Faculty from the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine, MassGeneral Hospital for Children)

Asthma Educator Preceptorship can be scheduled on a prearranged date convenient to you.

Course Accreditation

Continuing education contact hours (approximately 6 hours) for registered nurses and nurse practitioners have been approved by the Department of Nursing at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The Brigham and Women's Hospital is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Rhode Island State Nurses Association (RISNA), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commision on Accreditation (ANCC).

Continuing education (CRCE) hours (6 hours) for registered respiratory therapists have been approved by the American Association of Respiratory Care.

Continuing pharmaceutical education credit hours (6 hours; 0.6 CEUs) have been approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy.

Tuition Fee*:

Early Registration (one month prior to course) $90

Late Registration (within one month of course) $110
* Registration fee includes Coffee Break and Lunch but not parking.

For the Asthma Educator Preceptorship:
Individual Session: $300.00
Small-group Session $200.00

Full Payment must accompany application. Make check payable to Partners Asthma Center

Register on-line at https://www.partners.org/departments/asthma/AEIRegistrationFall2013.html
or by mail:
Partners Asthma Center
PBB-3
15 Francis Street, Boston MA 02115

Address inquiries to:
Partners Asthma Center,
15 Francis Street,
Boston, MA 02115
or by phone: (800) 9PARTNERS or (617) 732-7419,
e-mail : asthma@partners.org.

Refunds: Refund requests must be received one week prior to the course. No refunds will be made thereafter.