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Athletic trainers are part of a complete athletic
health care team that helps athletes avoid or recover from injury and to achieve physical fitness. They must be patient, able
to work with a team of other health care providers, and be interested
in learning about the advancements in their field.
Athletic
Trainer
Areas of Specialization
Athletic trainers are trained in prevention of athletic injuries,
recognition, evaluation, and immediate care of athletic injuries,
rehabilitation and reconditioning of athletic injuries, health care
administration, and education and counseling.
Work Environment
Most often a certified athletic trainer enters the work force in
an outpatient sports medicine/orthopedic clinic or as a teacher/athletic
trainer in a high school. They may also be employed by secondary
schools, 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.
Advancement
Completion of a master’s or doctoral degree in Sports Medicine,
Athletic Training, and Exercise Physiology are required to qualify
an athletic trainer for teaching positions at colleges or universities.
Job Outlook
The number of Athletic Trainers employed in Florida in 2006 was
582. It is projected that in 2014 there will be 703. This represents
an annual average growth rate of 2.6 percent.
Length of Training/Requirements
An athletic trainer must be over 21 and have: - a baccalaureate degree
from an accredited college or university that includes: 3 semester
hours or 4 quarter hours from an accredited college or university
in: health, human anatomy, kinesiology/biomechanics, human physiology,
physiology of exercise, basic athletic training and advanced athletic
training.
- Students must also complete at least 800 hours of
athletic training experience under the direct supervision of a certified
athletic trainer.
Licensure/Certification
Licensure is required by the Florida Department of Health to practice
athletic training in Florida. Some requirements are current certification
as an athletic trainer certified by the National Athletic Trainers
Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) or a comparable national
athletic standards organization and proofs of current certification
or completion of: - standard first aid and cardiovascular pulmonary
resuscitation training from the American Red Cross or the American
Heart Association;
- an examination administered or approved by the
FL Department of Education;
- a two-hour course on prevention of medical
errors;
- a continuing education course on HIV/AIDS presented by a
qualifying agency.
Continuing education hours are required every three
years for recertification and every two years for relicensure.
Updated: 2009 |
