What is an Athletic Trainer?
Athletic Trainers are board certified and licensed healthcare professionals. Using a medical-based education model, athletic trainers are educated to provide comprehensive patient care in five domains of clinical practice: risk reduction, wellness and health literacy; assessment, evaluation and diagnosis; critical incident management; therapeutic intervention; and healthcare administration and professional responsibility. Athletic Trainers work in a variety of clinical settings, including the secondary school and collegiate setting, industrial settings, medical clinics, operating rooms, military and tactical, art and performance, health care administration, and private practice, among others.
Knowledge around the athletic training profession is generally lacking. Athletic Trainers often get confused for personal trainers, health coaches, and massage therapists. Education and scope of practice sets these professions apart. Read more below to see what makes AT's stand out.
Healthcare Professional
Board certified. State Licensed. Nationally Recognized.
Orthopedic Expertise
AT's match MD's diagnosis 92% of time
Educator
AT's have a responsibility to educate the public
Injury Prevention
Exercise prescription, movement screenings, prophylactics
Reconditioning
Reconditioning of athletic and musculoskeletal injuries
Emergency Medicine
Trained to provide care in medical emergencies
Athletic Training Resources
The NATA is the organizing body and membership organization for Athletic Trainers. Information on the profession, practice settings, utilization, education requirements, and more can be found here.
The BOC is the credentialing body for Athletic Trainers. Athletic Trainers are required to comply with the “BOC Standards of Professional Practice,” which consists of Practice Standards and the Code of Professional Responsibility, as well as complete lifelong continuing education to remain in good standing as an ATC.
State Practice Acts are the individual state regulations placed around Certified Athletic Trainers as a healthcare professional. AT's must not only abide by the BOC Practice Standards and Code of Professional Responsibility, but also abide by individual state regulations governing their scope of practice in that individual state.