Using Puppets to Teach Schoolchildren to Detect Stroke and Call 911

Sonya Sharkey; Linda Denke; Morley A Herbert

doi:10.1177/1059840516636197

Using Puppets to Teach Schoolchildren to Detect Stroke and Call 911

J Sch Nurs. 2016 Aug;32(4):228-33. doi: 10.1177/1059840516636197. Epub 2016 Mar 23.

Authors

Sonya Sharkey¹, Linda Denke², Morley A Herbert³

Affiliations

¹ Cardiology Department, Medical City Dallas Hospital, Dallas, TX, USA.
² Organizational Development, Medical City Dallas Hospital, Dallas, TX, USA Houston J. and Florence A. Doswell College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Dallas, TX, USA ldenke@mail.twu.edu.
³ Department of Clinical Research, Medical City Dallas Hospital, Dallas, TX, USA.

PMID: 27009590
DOI: 10.1177/1059840516636197

Abstract

To overcome barriers to improved outcomes, we undertook an intervention to teach schoolchildren how to detect a stroke and call emergency medical services (EMS). We obtained permission from parents and guardians to use an 8-min puppet show to instruct the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders about stroke detection, symptomatology, and calling EMS. A pretest and three posttests-one immediately following the presentation, one at 3 months, and a third at 6 months-were administered. Responses from 282 students were evaluable. Significant improvements (p < .001) in knowledge were found through all posttests in identifying what parts of the body stroke affected and through the first two posttests in recognizing symptoms stroke victims experienced. Students demonstrated at pretest a high awareness of EMS and 911 (97.5%) and showed slight, but not significant, improvement over time.

Keywords: brain; cerebrovascular disorders; chronic diseases; elementary; emergency care/crisis intervention/school nursing; health education; parent/family; stroke.

MeSH terms

Child
Female
Health Education / methods*
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Humans
Male
Play and Playthings*
Stroke / diagnosis*
Students*