Responsibilities of an ATHLETIC TRAINER What does it take to be me?

Here’s just a little background info… Athletic trainers work in a variety of settings and under many different conditions. Events might be held indoors or outdoors, in the blistering heat or freezing snow, and may be scheduled for day or night. Consequently, an athletic trainer must be prepared for any type of emergency that may occur in any of these settings.

So where can we work? Professional and collegiate sports ($$) Secondary and intermediate schools Sports medicine clinics Hospital ER, rehab clinic and wellness centers Occupational settings Fitness centers Physicians offices

And how do we get there? In order to obtain a degree in athletic training, here’s some courses you’d need to take… Assessment and Evaluation Acute Care General Med. Conditions and Disabilities Therapeutic Exercise Therapeutic Modalities Risk Management and Injury Prevention Health Care Administration Nutritional Aspects of Injury/Illness Professional Development and Responsibilities

Then what? So, at this point, you’ve gone to college for four years, taken all of those classes. Now what do you do? NATABOC Exam The National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) has a subdivision that is their Board of Certification (BOC). Once you have your degree, you can sit for their exam to become ‘certified.’ The NATABOC exam covers six different domains (areas you should have studied in college)… …

Athletic Training Practice Domains Prevention Clinical evaluation and diagnosis Immediate care Treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning Organization and administration Professional responsibility

An ATC’s Responsibilities Perform initial evaluations of injuries Immediate/emergency care Develop the Emergency Action Plan Rehabilitation Purchase/organize supplies Advise on conditioning programs Keep records of all injuries (we’ll talk more about this) Set up and maintain clean training room facility Provide care for visiting teams Protective taping/padding/bracing Organize student AT program Be athlete/patient’s advocate Supply teams with ice/water/travel kits, etc

The Athletic Training Student The Athletic Training Student (ATS) is a college student who is enrolled in an undergraduate athletic training program. They work/learn under the supervision of a Certified Athletic Trainer They are assigned duties to perform on a regular basis but must also know when they need to get assistance from their supervisors There are certain duties that they can only perform under direct supervision and then those that they are allowed to perform independently… …

Athletic Training Students (cont’d) Must be under supervision of an ATC for the following: Taping, bandaging, bracing athletes Overseeing rehabilitation and treatments Organizing paperwork (insurance forms, injury reports, etc) Daily record keeping Ensuring athletic training room is cleaned/maintained Preparing game/practice set-ups (water, ice, kits, etc)

Athletic Training Students (cont’d) There are some tasks that an ATS can perform independently of a ‘Certified.’ Administering first aid to injured athletes (once they have taken a recognized first aid course) Activating EMS (emergency medical services) Let me be honest about this…. Your freshman year in college as an athletic training student, your jobs very well might feel like: Water Girl/Boy and Spy As you get through more college, your responsibilities will increase pretty rapidly.

Athletic Training Student Aide (what’s the difference, right?) An athletic training student aide is a high school student, interested in pursuing a career in sports medicine that work with the ATC at their (or another) high school. So what can they do?? They haven’t taken any college courses yet! (But maybe they’ve taken my class ;) Stocking first aid/medical kits Covering practices Maintaining cleanliness of the training room Record keeping Treatment of injuries Basic taping procedures