Peanut Allergy: Health Education Teaching Plan

Case Study

An 11-year old boy had an anaphylaxis reaction, which is a new diagnosis of peanut allergy. A close examination of the boy revealed that he had a nettle rash on the neck, a swollen mouth and throat, an irregular heartbeat rate, anxiety, pain in the abdomen and a low blood pressure; he also experienced vomiting, and had a lot of pain when swallowing food. The boy lives with his father, a single parent, who works full time including the evenings. The boy is assisted by his grandmother who takes care of him most of the times.”

Teaching Topic

Children with peanut allergies need to be closely watched by their parents, custodians, and teachers. The 11-year old boy in the case study suffers from anaphylaxis, which is caused by peanut allergy; his case reveals the difficulties that the victims of peanut allergies go through. The most effective way to assist the boy is by developing a health education teaching plan through which he, his father, and the school teachers should be trained on the best strategies of handling the boy.

Teaching Plan Goal for all Participants

The main goal for developing the teaching plan is to design an outline that will assist to efficiently manage the peanut allergy problem in the 11-year old boy. The goal is incorporated into the teaching plan to ensure that it has a target to achieve. As a result, all the characters, including the boy, his father, grandmother and teachers, will have a common target that they should work toward. The goal makes it possible to determine what the characters are supposed to learn and what they ought to refrain from. Goals give the best direction for managing time for each plan and training the different characters (Rentfro, Hockenberry, & McCampbell, 2011).
In addition, goals also help to determine the contents of the teaching plan. For instance, in relation to the goal developed for the case of the 11-year old boy, some of the items to be incorporated into the teaching plan would include teaching the boy on the basics concerning peanut allergies and anaphylaxis; this can be done by explaining to him why he should not get exposed to peanuts or peanut products, and showing him why he needs to wear the kit every time.

Teaching Plan Objectives for all Participants

Although there are several behavioral objectives that could be formulated in relation to the teaching plan for the 11-year old boy, only two of these objectives have been outlined in this paper. The first objective is to encourage an in-depth understanding and recognition of the signs and symptoms of the peanut allergy which the boy suffers from. It is through this objective that the main goal can be achieved. The boy, his father, grandmother, and teachers must understand the signs and symptoms well to enable them to take the necessary steps whenever the boy encounters the allergy (Rentfro, Hockenberry, & McCampbell, 2011).
The second objective is to enhance the knowledge of the grandmother and the teacher on how to administer the medication to the boy whenever he encounters the allergy. This objective is also in line with the main goal, which requires the people involved to work toward improving the patient’s living standards. The objective will involve using the available resources to make sure the boy’s grandmother and teacher are thoroughly trained on the medication and the doses that are supposed to be administered to him (James, Burks, & Eigenmann, 2012).
The boy, his grandmother, his father and the teacher will be assessed through the objectives to see if they will have understood the main concepts in their respective teaching plans. They will be asked questions that relate to the content of the teaching plans to evaluate their understanding of the relevant concepts. If they will be able to answer most of the questions correctly, then it will be certain that they have understood the contents of the teaching plan and consequently, the life of the boy will not be at stake (Russell, Gosbee & Huber, 2012).

Plan for the Boy

Teaching children about food allergies is challenging and for that reason, it needs more care as they may not understand the concepts involved well. The first topic in the boy’s teaching plan will be to explain to him the main concepts relating to his allergy by using the most suitable age verbiage (Russell, Gosbee, & Huber, 2012). For instance, the trainer could tell the boy that he has a peanut allergy and if he eats them or any of their products, they are likely to affect his health.
The second topic could be showing him the necessary equipment that can help him in case he experiences an anaphylaxis reaction. This involves telling him about the finer details regarding his allergy and the consequences involved. The trainer should show the boy the peanuts and peanut products as he may not be aware of how the products look like. The most effective tool that can be recommended for the boy’s case is a simple medical alert bracelet, which he should be advised to put on all the time (James, Burks, & Eigenmann, 2012).
The last topic in his teaching plan is training him to only eat the foodstuffs that have been approved for such cases. He should be given a list of the approved foods that he should take. The child should be made to reject food from any other people apart from his teacher and father. It would also be prudent to show him pictures of the foodstuffs that he should not take (Russell, Gosbee, & Huber, 2012).
Total time allocated for the lesson: 40 minutes

Plan for his Father

Although the boy’s father spends very little time with the boy, it is necessary to educate him about the peanut allergy and the measures he is supposed to take to improve his child’s living standards.
The first topic in the father’s teaching plan should be to educate him on various types of peanuts and their products. It is likely that even the father may fail to recognize some of the products, unless he is properly informed about them. A good knowledge of the peanut products may assist him in purchasing the approved food for the boy (Rentfro, Hockenberry, & McCampbell, 2011).
Secondly, the father should be trained on how to make use of the boy’s interests to help him understand various issues related to the allergy. If he knows that the boy likes reading, he can try reading a peanut-allergy book together with him. This can help both of them understand the concepts of peanut allergies and how to handle them.
Time allocated for the lesson: 20 minutes

Plan for his Grandmother

The boy’s grandmother is very important in his life as she takes care of him most of the times. She needs to have a thorough knowledge of the allergy and its reactions. The first topic in her teaching plan should be to train her on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the allergy before it develops into other complications (Russell, Gosbee, & Huber, 2012).
The second topic should be informing her of the need to always ensure that the boy’s epinephrine is available at all times. She can also be trained on how to give the injection in case of an emergency. The epinephrine injection is effective in reducing the severity of anaphylaxis. In addition, the boy’s grandmother should be advised to ensure that the boy puts on his medical alert necklace wherever he is (Russell, Gosbee, & Huber, 2012).
Total time allocated for the lesson: 35 minutes

Plan for his Teacher

The boy’s teacher if trained about the boy’s allergy can help prevent the boy from exposing himself to peanuts or peanut products in school. The major concepts that should be incorporated into the teacher’s health education plan include: signs and symptoms of peanut allergies, the boy’s previous experiences with anaphylaxis, the necessary emergency response practices, his emergency plan, and the approved foods that he should be given (Russell, Gosbee, & Huber, 2012).
Total time allocated for the lesson: 25 minutes

• Time: 30 minutes

2. Training the boy’s grandmother and teacher on ways of administering the medication to the boy whenever he encounters the allergy.

• Time: 30 minutes