14 Participatory Learning: Asthma Camp as a Learning Space for Patients and Health Care Providers Michael Campbell, PhD, LCSW Saint Leo University, FL Linda M. Gibson-Young, PhD, FNP-BC, CNE, AE-C, FAANP Auburn University, AL Melody Wallace, CCLS Nemours Children's Hospital, FL ABSTRACT Health care-focused summer camps are an effective way for patients and their health care team to learn and reinforce health education (Clark & Nwokah, 2011). The literature on health education is clear that participatory learning cements not only knowledge, but also health behavior change (Beets, Tilley, Weaver, Turner-McGrievy, & Moore, 2014). Health education is a core practice for all health disciplines in influencing health behavior change and is an especially important tool for nurses and respiratory therapists in the care of patients coping with asthma (Homer, Brown, Brown, & Rew, 2015; Turner & Fralic, 2009). In partnering with allied health professionals, child life specialists can bring interactive learning strategies to health education to improve outcomes in children (American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Hospital Care & Child Life Council, 2014). This study explores the impact of an educational intervention for children with asthma, implemented in a summer camp that uses developmentally appropriate methods adapted by a child life specialist for engaging a cohort of children 6 to 12 years of age with diagnosed asthma. The study focused on school-aged children in order to take advantage of the knowledge that this age group is highly influenced by developmentally tailored education. This study focuses on specific tools used to bridge the developmental learning styles for children and how these tools played a role in key outcomes for the participants with asthma.
Each issue of the ACLP Bulletin features a Child Life Focus article, peer-reviewed in-depth research. These articles are available here. Individual Pricing Non-Members: $15 ACLP Members: Free! PDUs The PDUs earned (.5 per article) from reading a Focus article and successfully completing the accompanying quiz are considered Independent Learning. There is a 10 PDU maximum limit for this category in the 5-year certification cycle.