Athletic Trainer

Many people think that an athletic trainer is just a fancier name for a personal trainer, this couldn’t be more wrong. I would like to present my research findings and provide you with the knowledge of what an athletic trainer does. Upon any search online, the idea that an athletic trainer is basically a personal trainer is automatically dismissed. I remember thinking the same thing when I first discovered the career but now it is evident that they are health professionals in the specialty of sports medicine. Ever since I was little I always dreaded going to the doctor and found myself saying that I would never go into the medical field. Little did I know that this is the path I would take in the future.
An athletic trainer has many important …show more content…
Athletic trainers who work for a sports team often have longer hours as they must be “present for team practices and games, which are often in the evenings and on weekends, and their schedules can change on short notice when games and practices are rescheduled. As a result, athletic trainers in sports settings may have to work 6 or 7 days per week, including late hours, on a regular basis” (Brett 39). These long hours can leave very little family time which is a big disadvantage to me. During my experience shadowing different trainers I can attest to the long hours which even left me with little family time. Although the long hours does come with a reward as “Their work with teams or clients can lead to bonds of friendship and loyalty: a 2003 survey by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association showed that respondents had spent about half of their athletic training careers in their current
Positions” (Brett 39). Seeing that trainers often stay in their career shows that they are clear benefits despite the long …show more content…
Athletic trainers work under physicians and often work together to coordinate the rehabilitation of an injury to ensure the best outcome for the patient. Another interesting fact I found was that “Athletic trainers cannot prescribe medication, take x rays, or order laboratory tests, for example. At the physician’s discretion, however, athletic trainers may continue to treat minor injuries” (Dennis 6). Through my experiences trainers are able to take care of most injuries without physician intervention but in the case of broken bones or torn ligaments it is necessary for the trainer to send the player to the emergency room. By delving deeper into this career I found that I would not like to pursue it as the scope of practice is quite limited and I would like to do more for my patients. By researching this career further I have a greater respect for athletic trainers as they are truly great medical

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A Career As An Athletic Trainer

Essay On Athletic Trainer