Dec 5, 2017Continued Growth
Professional development for athletic training staff and faculty can be summed up by this quote from Abraham Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Even though athletic trainers are very busy, individuals and their department as a whole should dedicate themselves to further developing their knowledge and skills to better enhance their practice. The leader of the sports medicine department or faculty should consider providing opportunities for the staff to sharpen their axes to enhance their career satisfaction and better serve patients and athletic training students.
However, actually pursuing this professional development takes time, effort, and opportunity. What are some of the strategies that a leader may consider when working toward the goal of sharpening the axe of their athletic training staff or faculty?
The first determination is finding out what areas your athletic trainers are interested in. After all, individual professionals have differing interests and desires in their career paths.
The next hurdle is finding the time and energy to sharpen these skills through professional development… This is where the leader of the department can look at schedules and work-life balances in order to permit time to attend the necessary professional development meetings.
To start, there are several hands-on skills and other certificates that an athletic trainer may be interested in obtaining. One should look at the present and future dynamics and challenges in holistic care for patients and what skills can be incorporated into an athletic training program for athletic training students before deciding on an area to focus on. Some potential options can include:
- Hands-on skills like Active Release Technique, Postural Restoration Training, Graston Technique, dry needling, or kinesio taping
- Instructor certification in first aid, CPR, and automated external defibrillator training for students and staff members
- Advanced knowledge and skills in performance enhancement, corrective exercise, strength and conditioning, and Functional Movement Screening
- Obtaining training in critical incident stress management to provide psychological first aid following injury or critical incidents for individuals or groups in crisis.
Before pursuing any of the above skills, an important point needs to be made: In order to pursue them, the individual professional must go through the appropriate organizations and credentialing processes. The NATA Code of Ethics states in Principle 3, Articles 1 and 2 that members shall only provide services they have been educated for and must not misrepresent their skills or training. It is prudent for the leader of the sports medicine staff or faculty to obtain copies of any certificates of those undertaking advanced skills to ensure that the individual athletic trainer has completed the required training and/or passed any required testing. This ensures the safety of the patient and manages risk to the institution, secondary school, or place of employment.
Once it’s determined what skills athletic trainers will pursue, the next hurdle is finding the time and energy to sharpen these skills through professional development. This is no easy task, as many athletic trainers are booked all day long, all year round. Schedules can be tight, and some skill development may occur only a few times a year. This is where the leader of the department can look at schedules and work-life balances in order to permit time for the athletic training staff member to attend the necessary professional development meetings.
Another obstacle can be funding, as some professional development initiatives aren’t cheap. The leader of the sports medicine staff or faculty can advocate for funding for professional development with administration. Often, institutions and places of employment are interested in offering more skills to their patients. This desire should lead to commitment in finding funding and personal time for the athletic training staff member or faculty to attend and obtain certificates of completion or additional certifications from accrediting bodies.
Overall, the leader of the athletic training department should encourage the employment of new skills by their staff or faculty. By doing this, the sports medicine staff and/or faculty can sharpen the axe of effectiveness with their patients and athletic training students.
