Tuberculosis screening and education in the urban public school district

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's deadliest curable communicable infectious disease. The eradication of TB is a significantly important intractable global public health challenge for health agencies at all levels. Global migration, cultural-socioeconomic factors and increase of multidrug-resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) affect the epidemiology of TB in the United States and other countries worldwide. Studies have shown that increase in TB knowledge and understanding contributes to early TB screenings/diagnosis, interventions and treatments, result in reducing MDR-TB, rates of TB transmissions, relapse, morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this project is: (1) to develop a TB screening risk assessment protocol for the Urban Public School District. This protocol will help identify, assess, test, monitor, control and prevent TB disease by screening high-risk populations for TB infection in the community and sending newly infected TB cases for treatment. (2) Also to create an educational module for the Urban Public School District's website to help educate, promote awareness and understanding of active TB disease and latent TB infection, TB transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, control and TB prevention programs to all students, faculty, administrators, staff and parents. The Self-Care Nursing Theory and Self Care-Deficit Theory of Nursing by Dorothea E. Orem and the Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory by Madeline Leininger were utilized as theoretical frameworks for the development of this project. Four content experts with knowledge and expertise with tuberculosis, cultural competence, nursing care, education and counseling will be asked to voluntarily participate in the review and evaluation the project's screening risk assessment protocol and educational module.