Athletic Trainers A Sallied Health Care Providers example essay topic

Athletic Training as a profession It is the biggest match of the year. The star athlete is in the middle of competition when down she falls. No need to fear, an athletic trainer is near, but can you imagine if a trainer were not available. The athlete may try to continue in spite of the pain, turning a minor injury into a severe injury that could possibly end her entire athletic career. For this reason a trainer is a vital part of any athletic department. My research focuses on the importance of qualified athletic trainers as a necessary and vital employee of any athletic program.

The present and future success, safety and health of athletes depend on professional athletic trainers. Getting the education needed to be an athletic trainer is quite possibly the most difficult part of the job, with the abundance of time and effort it takes. A student planning to enter this field must be very dedicated. Students in high school planning to go into the field of athletictraining should take some specific classes to better prepare themselves for their college career. The courses include biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, general science, first aid and health.

(Patton 11) Certified athletic trainers have, at minimum, a bachelor's degree, usually in athletictraining, health, physical education or exercise science. (Edelson 7) In addition, athletic trainers study human anatomy, human physiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, athletic training, nutrition and psychology / counseling. (Edelson 7) Trainers are educated in prevention of athleticinjuries, recognition, evaluation, immediate care, rehabilitation and reconditioning of athleticinjuries. Certified athletic trainers also participate in extensive clinical affiliations with athletic teams under appropriate supervision. (Kraus 8) Moore 2 Most often a certified athletic trainer enters the work force as a teacher / athletic trainer ata high school. Trainers at high schools work only after school for a few hours, teaching during the day would be ideal.

They may also be employed by colleges and universities, professional sports teams, corporate health programs, and hospitals. They work with athletes, coaches, physicians, and other health care providers to combine training, therapy, and teaching. The hours a trainer works depends greatly on game and practice schedules. Trainers must work when the athletes work The work schedule includes night and weekends and also involve traveling with teams. A person who becomes a trainer must be flexible and willing to adapt t the everyday changes. An athletic trainer can expect a starting wage of $20,000 to $40,000 per year.

Years of experience can produce an annual salary of $40,000 to $80,000. (Patton 17) Trainers who are affiliated with professional organizations such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB can enjoy six figure salaries and plenty of travel time. (Athletic Trainer) Being a professional trainer is much like a professional athlete, there are few positions and every trainer dreams of landing one of those jobs. (Athletic Trainer) The typical day for a certified athletic trainer varies with the level of competition. Before practice, the athletic trainer tapes, bandages, wraps, braces and completes similar preventive measures. (Patton 3) During practice, the athletic trainer evaluates injuries and determines whether to refer athletes to a physician or follow standing orders and manage minor injuries.

(Mang i 12) The athletic trainer must ensure continual communication between the Moore 3 injured athlete, physician, coach and family on when and how the athlete can return to practice and competition. (Patton 13) As specialists in the prevention, recognition and rehabilitation of injuries incurred by athletes, athletic trainers administer immediate emergency care and use their knowledge of the injuries incurred by the physically active individual and the factors influencing them to develop a treatment program based on medical, exercise and sports sciences. There is tremendous growth potential for high school athletic trainers. Traditionally, these jobs have been as a teacher / athletic trainer, but a new trend is to hire athletic trainers a sallied health care providers without teaching responsibilities. Clinic jobs have been the most popular entry-level position in recent years. Many times these athletic trainers work in the clinic in the morning, providing very similar services as physical therapists, and then in the afternoons work in the high school, providing a "community service' on behalf of the clinic.

However, those jobs are decreasing in today's managed care environment. (Edelson 19) Although athletic training was once considered a male-dominated profession, more than 40% of all members of the National Athletic Trainers' Association are women. As of January 1990, more than half of the athletic trainers certified by the NATA have been women. (Athletic Trainer) From my research I have realized for anyone to become an athletic trainer they must be avery hard working student. Someone who works well with other people and has an interest in sports would surely enjoy this occupation.