The Certified Athletic Trainer The Certified Athletic Trainer and the and the

Sports Medicine TeamSports Medicine Team

Jennifer L. Doherty, MS, ATC, LAT, CIEJennifer L. Doherty, MS, ATC, LAT, CIEAcademic Program Director, ATEPAcademic Program Director, ATEPFlorida International UniversityFlorida International UniversityManagement of Medical EmergenciesManagement of Medical Emergencies

Sports MedicineSports Medicine

Generic term encompassing many different Generic term encompassing many different fields of study related to sportfields of study related to sport

Areas of specialization include:Areas of specialization include: Athletic TrainingAthletic Training BiomechanicsBiomechanics Exercise PhysiologyExercise Physiology Physical TherapyPhysical Therapy Sports NutritionSports Nutrition Sports PsychologySports Psychology

Sports Medicine TeamSports Medicine Team

Physician Coach

Athlete

Certified Athletic Trainer

Sports Medicine TeamSports Medicine Team

PhysicalTherapist

GeneralMedicine Physician

Orthopedic Physician

Coach

Athlete

CertifiedAthletic Trainer

Sports Medicine TeamSports Medicine Team

SportPsychologist

Cardiologist

SportNutritionist

DentistPhysicalTherapist

GeneralMedicine Physician

Orthopedic Physician

Coach

Athlete

CertifiedAthletic Trainer

Team PhysicianTeam Physician

The team physician has absolute The team physician has absolute authority in determining the health status authority in determining the health status of an athleteof an athlete

Responsibilities:Responsibilities: Compiling Medical HistoriesCompiling Medical Histories Diagnosing InjuryDiagnosing Injury Deciding on DisqualificationDeciding on Disqualification Supervision of Certified Athletic TrainersSupervision of Certified Athletic Trainers

Certified Athletic Trainer Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)(ATC)

A Certified Athletic Trainer is an allied A Certified Athletic Trainer is an allied health care professional who specializes health care professional who specializes in the prevention, assessment, treatment, in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses that occur in the physically active that occur in the physically active population and athletes population and athletes

National Athletic National Athletic Trainers’ Association Trainers’ Association (NATA)(NATA)

Founded in 1950 Founded in 1950 Purpose: To build and strengthen the Purpose: To build and strengthen the

profession of athletic training through the profession of athletic training through the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods of athletic training methods of athletic training

National Athletic National Athletic Trainers’ Association Trainers’ Association (NATA)(NATA)

Currently, there are more than 27,000 Currently, there are more than 27,000 allied health care professionals that allied health care professionals that belong to the NATA belong to the NATA 69% of NATA members are ATC69% of NATA members are ATC 14% are Athletic Training Students (ATS)14% are Athletic Training Students (ATS) 3% are allied health care professionals, and 3% are allied health care professionals, and 0.5% are international members 0.5% are international members

Traditional Employment Traditional Employment SettingsSettings

Traditional Employment SettingsTraditional Employment Settings Professional sportsProfessional sports Colleges and UniversitiesColleges and Universities Secondary schools Secondary schools

Non-traditional Employment SettingsNon-traditional Employment Settings ClinicsClinics OfficesOffices FactoriesFactories International avenues International avenues

Responsibilities of the Responsibilities of the Certified Athletic TrainerCertified Athletic Trainer

Injury PreventionInjury Prevention Evaluation of injuries and illness, Evaluation of injuries and illness,

including medical referralincluding medical referral First Aid and Emergency CareFirst Aid and Emergency Care Rehabilitation and ReconditioningRehabilitation and Reconditioning Organization and AdministrationOrganization and Administration Counseling and GuidanceCounseling and Guidance EducationEducation

Injury PreventionInjury Prevention

Physical examinationsPhysical examinations Pre-participation screeningsPre-participation screenings Ensuring appropriate training and Ensuring appropriate training and

conditioning methodsconditioning methods Selecting and properly fitting protective Selecting and properly fitting protective

equipmentequipment Reducing and controlling environmental Reducing and controlling environmental

hazardshazards

Evaluation of injuries and Evaluation of injuries and illnessillness

On-field and clinical evaluationsOn-field and clinical evaluations Components of injury evaluation:Components of injury evaluation:

HistoryHistory ObservationObservation PalpationPalpation Range of MotionRange of Motion Neurovascular examinationNeurovascular examination Special TestsSpecial Tests Functional TestsFunctional Tests

First Aid and Emergency First Aid and Emergency CareCare

The ATC must be certified as a The ATC must be certified as a Professional Rescuer Professional Rescuer Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) First AidFirst Aid

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) trainingtraining

Bloodborne Pathogen trainingBloodborne Pathogen training

Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation and ReconditioningReconditioning

Design, supervise, and modify injury Design, supervise, and modify injury rehabilitation programs in accordance rehabilitation programs in accordance with the healing processwith the healing process

Must understand the techniques of Must understand the techniques of Therapeutic ModalitiesTherapeutic Modalities Therapeutic RehabilitationTherapeutic Rehabilitation

Organization and Organization and AdministrationAdministration

Budget ManagementBudget Management Requisition and inventory of supplies and equipmentRequisition and inventory of supplies and equipment

Maintenance of Health/Injury RecordsMaintenance of Health/Injury Records ConfidentialityConfidentiality InsuranceInsurance LiabilityLiability

SupervisionSupervision Assistant Athletic TrainersAssistant Athletic Trainers Graduate AssistantsGraduate Assistants Athletic Training StudentsAthletic Training Students

Counseling and GuidanceCounseling and Guidance

Not only responsible for athletic injuriesNot only responsible for athletic injuries Must cultivate respect and trust from Must cultivate respect and trust from

athletesathletes Serve as mentor, confidantServe as mentor, confidant Assist in personal mattersAssist in personal matters

EducationEducation

Educate athletesEducate athletes Educate coachesEducate coaches Educate parentsEducate parents Educate studentsEducate students Educate the general Educate the general

publicpublic

Education of ATCsEducation of ATCs

Must graduate from an entry-level accredited Must graduate from an entry-level accredited athletic training education program athletic training education program

Two main components:Two main components: Didactic component Didactic component

Based on cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill), and Based on cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill), and affective (professional behaviors) competencies affective (professional behaviors) competencies

Clinical component Clinical component Based on professional, practice oriented outcomes called Based on professional, practice oriented outcomes called

clinical proficiencies clinical proficiencies

Education of ATCsEducation of ATCs

Obtaining education in the competencies Obtaining education in the competencies and clinical proficiencies through an and clinical proficiencies through an accredited athletic training education accredited athletic training education program allows an ATS to be eligible to program allows an ATS to be eligible to sit for the National Athletic Trainers’ sit for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association - Board of Certification Association - Board of Certification (NATA-BOC) examination (NATA-BOC) examination

Education of ATCsEducation of ATCs

Foundational CoursesFoundational Courses Professional CoursesProfessional Courses

Human physiologyHuman physiology

Human anatomyHuman anatomy

Exercise physiologyExercise physiology

Kinesiology/BiomechanicsKinesiology/Biomechanics

NutritionNutrition

Acute care of injury and illnessAcute care of injury and illness

Statistics and research designStatistics and research design

Strength training and reconditioning Strength training and reconditioning

Risk management and injury/illness preventionRisk management and injury/illness prevention

Pathology of injury/illnessPathology of injury/illness

Assessment of injury/illnessAssessment of injury/illness

General medical conditions and disabilitiesGeneral medical conditions and disabilities

Therapeutic modalitiesTherapeutic modalities

Therapeutic exercise/Rehabilitative techniquesTherapeutic exercise/Rehabilitative techniques

Health care administrationHealth care administration

Weight management and body compositionWeight management and body composition

Psychosocial intervention and referralPsychosocial intervention and referral

Medical ethics and legal issuesMedical ethics and legal issues

PharmacologyPharmacology

Professional development and responsibilities Professional development and responsibilities

The ATC CredentialThe ATC Credential

Once an ATS graduates from an Once an ATS graduates from an accredited athletic training education accredited athletic training education program and passes that NATA-BOC program and passes that NATA-BOC examination, he/she is recognized by the examination, he/she is recognized by the NATA as a certified athletic trainer who is NATA as a certified athletic trainer who is capable of performing the duties of the capable of performing the duties of the profession without threat of harm to the profession without threat of harm to the public public

Personal Qualities of Personal Qualities of ATCsATCs

Stamina and AdaptabilityStamina and Adaptability Prevents burnoutPrevents burnout

EmpathyEmpathy Ability to detect stress with a desire to Ability to detect stress with a desire to

minimize that stressminimize that stress

Sense of HumorSense of Humor Helps relieve tension and promote relaxationHelps relieve tension and promote relaxation

Personal Qualities of Personal Qualities of ATCsATCs

Ability to CommunicateAbility to Communicate Oral and written communication is Oral and written communication is

necessarynecessary

Intellectual CuriosityIntellectual Curiosity Lifelong commitment to learningLifelong commitment to learning

EthicsEthics High standard of conduct and integrityHigh standard of conduct and integrity

The ATCThe ATC

The Certified Athletic Trainer provides a The Certified Athletic Trainer provides a major link between the sports medicine major link between the sports medicine team and the medical community team and the medical community

The Certified Athletic Trainer implements The Certified Athletic Trainer implements procedures to prevent injuries and procedures to prevent injuries and manage medical emergencies in addition manage medical emergencies in addition to tending to the other responsibilities of to tending to the other responsibilities of the professionthe profession