Breathing Easy: A Qualitative Analysis of School Nurse and Administrator Perspectives on Stock Inhalers and School-Based Asthma Management

Stock inhalers are unassigned rescue inhalers available for students who experience asthma symptoms at school. This study sought to understand school nurse and administrator perspectives on school-based asthma management and stock inhaler policy implementation. Twenty-three semistructured interviews were conducted with professionals from five high asthma burdened counties in varied geographic settings. Thematic analysis revealed three themes. "School-Based Asthma Management" revealed concerns about management methods of asthma and respiratory emergencies, and incident tracking. "Access to a Supportive Asthma School Environment" emphasized growth opportunities for family education, staff training, and resource access. "Stock Inhaler Programming" described how stock inhalers ensure consistent asthma medication access with easy integration into existing emergency protocols. With proper adoption and dissemination, stock inhaler programming has the capacity to enhance school-based asthma management and emergency responsiveness in schools across the country. This study highlights how health policy implementation and its integration into practice can transform school health.