Nurse’s Roles in Promoting Medication Adherence in The Use of Inhalers for Asthmatic Children

Abstract

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease among children. Although many guidelines for caring asthmatic children were developed and widely used, up to 50 percent of asthmatic children still lack collaboration in the use of controlled inhalers.  As a result of such problem, there is no efficiency in controlling asthma, making children with asthma suffer from coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Sometimes their symptoms are so severe to cause respiratory failure and had to be treated as well as may cause stress and anxiety from illness. It also has a psychological impact on caregivers of asthmatic children. In order for asthmatic children to use the inhaler correctly and appropriately and lead to further asthma control, nurses, therefore, play an important role in promoting collaboration in the use of controlled inhalers by using the nursing process.  

This article aims to present issues related to the meaning of collaboration, collaboration assessment tool, factors associated with collaboration, strategies to promote collaboration, and the nursing process to promote collaboration in the use of controlled inhalers in asthmatic children.