Concussion Management in the School Setting

Abstract

Concussion injuries in youth athletes have been a growing health concern across the nation. All 50 states have mandated concussion training in high schools; however, staff understanding, and benefit of this training is unknown. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to implement annual concussion management training for Nurses, Athletic Trainers, and School Counselors at the Kamehameha Schools Middle and High School campuses and assess participants knowledge before and after training. The Iowa Model of conceptual framework was used as the framework to implement this project as it was designed for large organizations with an interdisciplinary approach. The target population included Nurses, Athletic Training staff, and School Counselors on the three main campuses of Kamehameha Schools on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. Methods to assess project outcomes included data collection and analysis of pre- and post-training questionnaires and anecdotal evidence from participants. The initial pre-implementation survey had a response rate of 22 participants from all departments included. The post-training questionnaire resulted in a response rate of 4 participants resulting in no data analysis being completed. The data collection was statistically not significant, however, anecdotal evidence from participants proved to be beneficial. Anecdotal evidence from participants showed the need for increased communication between departments to support a student post-concussion. The results of this project demonstrated the need for further evaluation with changes in project implementation to accurately assess staff knowledge of concussion management training for student success and support post-concussion.