AT Advocates

Athletic Trainers are advocates by nature.  Probably the most noteworthy is that of being an advocate for the health and safety of physically active individuals.  But what else do AT’s advocate for? Or, maybe the question is better phrased, what else should AT’s be advocates for? We talk about being properly recognized and identified as healthcare providers, better pay, and better working conditions.  But how do we go about achieving such things?  It starts with being an advocate for each other.  

Athletic Trainers are not used to being in the spotlight. Most of us work behind the scenes and are comfortable that way.  But, if people are going to truly understand who we are, what we are capable of, and what our value truly is, we are going to have to step out from behind the shadows.  Now, I know that most people are not going to go out and sing their own praises, I don’t blame them.  But why wouldn’t we want to sing the praises of our friends and colleagues?   We all know AT’s who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, so let’s recognize them for it!

NATA award nominations are open right now until September 15th.  The first step to being an advocate for each other can be as simple as nominating someone for an award.  This may seem like a small thing but I assure you that celebrating the achievements of our friends and colleagues is certainly not small.  This is realistically just the tip of the iceberg.  Once a colleague wins an award, go a step further and notify their employer and the local news media.  But don’t stop there, notify their state and national legislators!  Before long many people will be asking, what did that AT do to earn such recognition? And now the doors have been opened and the opportunity to truly advocate for each other on a large scale has presented itself.  Now we have a platform to explain to our employers and our community exactly who an AT is, what an AT does, and precisely how important it is to make sure that every physically active individual has access to an AT.  

With NATA award nominations open I urge you, take a few minutes to decide who you will nominate for an award this year.  Everyone knows someone deserving, let’s start being advocates for each other the way we are for our patients.  Use the following link and let’s show our communities, our employers, our states and the nation how many great  AT’s there are in District VI! http://www.nata.org/honors-awards

Josh Woodall; M.Ed., ATC, LAT 

SWATA President

Why should YOU get involved? Tips for NATM efforts and MORE

Why should YOU get involved?

There are a lot of reasons why getting involved advances the AT profession, but below are a few specific reasons as to why YOU should get involved:

•              Build your resume

◦              don't just list your job responsibilities, list the "extra effort" items that we all do as ATs, especially anything that you initiate, build from scratch, and make successful...like NATM efforts.

•              Qualify for scholarships

◦              Students in college and high school programs who are involved in NATM efforts can highlight their participation when applying for scholarships.

•              Develop relationships with stakeholders

◦              Whether you are hosting an open house or adding a tagline to your email, you can use your efforts to connect with stakeholders.  Administrators, co-workers, taxpayers, and patients can gain a better understanding about you and the profession.  These opportunities open the doors of communication.  

•              Increase awareness

◦              When looking into resources that are available to help you be successful in your involvement, you may become aware of athletic training governmental affairs issues and other information that you previously did not know about. For example, this year you might find information about the SAFEPLAY Act, or on the Open Comment Period for CAATE Code of Professional Conduct for Program Personnel.

•              Show off

◦              Utilize your skills and talents that you may not be using in your current job.  It may be that your secret talent of drawing, public speaking, organizing events, cooking/grilling, etc. can be used to promote the profession in a unique way.

What Results Should You Expect?

•              Some benefits will be immediate while other efforts may produce benefits much later in time, especially if efforts are consistent and go beyond the time frame of NATM. If you work hard and plan well, the results of your efforts may be immediate and have lasting effects.

•              Regardless, your efforts will highlight the AT profession and will have the potential to educate others about the need for appropriate healthcare for the active person.  

NATA Involvement

•              Look through the NATA PR Resource and Stylebook* to find new ideas for NATM.

•              Social media campaign and contest are a great way to spread the word.  Since we are all very busy, you can schedule tweets to capitalize on your efforts.

SWATA Involvement

•              Look through the SWATA PR Ideabook for NATM ideas that are more specific to District 6.

•              Utilize the SWATA Letter to Stakeholders and request that a letter be sent on your behalf from SWATA announcing to your stakeholders that they can participate in NATM as well!

•              Don’t forget to participate in the SWATA PR NATM Contest for a chance to win a free registration to the Annual Meeting in July.  

It is never too late to start

•              The resources supplied by NATA and SWATA provide you with ideas and suggestions that take no time at all to accomplish.  

•              Of course, March is set aside as a designated time to highlight the AT profession but NATM is not the only time to reach out and promote the profession.  This can be done at any time throughout your day, regardless of what month it is.

Don't let the end of March stop you!

•              Carry on your efforts beyond March and promote yourself and the profession all year long with using proper terminology, highlighting your co-worker's accomplishments, and always representing the profession with the utmost care and skill.

*Look for an excerpt of the NATA PR Resource and Stylebook in the March issue of the NATA News and the complete version on NATA.org as we approach NATM.   

Jamie K. Woodall LAT, ATC

NATA PR Chair - Elect

Cultural Competency: Why it is Important for ALL Athletic Trainers

My name is Natalie Trotter.  I am the Athletic Trainer for Women's Basketball and Golf at the University of Arkansas.  I am also District VI representative for the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Council (SWATA Chairperson), as well as the chair of AATA's Diversity Committee.  I am blogging in hopes of defying myths on what the Ethnic Diversity Council is, who it benefits as well as defining what cultural competency is and why it is vital in any role in the healthcare professional.

The mission of the EDAC is to serve in an advisory capacity to the SWATA Executive Board. The Committee identifies and addresses issues relevant to ethnic minority members and health care concerns affecting physically active ethnic minority individuals. The committee advocates sensitivity towards cultural diversity throughout the profession and the association. Acknowledging the culturally diverse issues impacting our association, the objectives and strategies are presented to strengthen and unify the association.

EDAC is not just about us as athletic trainers, it is important to remember it is also about our patients.

Cultural competence is defined as the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.  In Sports Medicine it is a must resource in order to be a "sound" health care professional. As Athletic Trainers often we work with persons from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds, whether coworkers, superiors, patients and or athletes.  Cultural competence per definition comprises four components: (a) Awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) Attitude towards cultural differences, (c) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (d) Cross-cultural skills. As health care providers it is vital to develop cultural competency. Once cultural competency is attained, it results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.  No two injuries are the same, just as no two people are the same. To be successful as a health care professional it is important to have a sensitivity to patients/athlete's needs, which in turn provides a positive experience for both the provider and patient.

Being Thankful- District Director Kathy Dieringer

Being Thankful

As an Athletic Trainer, I have so much to be thankful for—having a job where every day we are able to help our patients return to the activity they love. Watching our patients improve from one day to the next, and knowing that we are an important cog in that process is priceless.

As your District Director, I am also very thankful, first and foremost for being chosen as your Director. I am also thankful that I serve a district of members whose passion and love for our profession is more than evident. We don’t always agree about what is the best course of action, but we do agree that we want our profession to progress, and that’s what really matters.

I am fortunate to serve with a number of outstanding leaders on our SWATA Board of Directors who are able to “check their egos” at the door, (as requested by President David Gish), and make decisions that are in the best interest of the organization and our members. By now, you’ve learned of the leadership plan for the SWATA Board: a plan that the Board carefully considered, thoroughly discussed, and unanimously approved. As you can imagine, this was not an easy decision, and was not done in haste. As requested by the SWATA Board, I am assuming leadership of the SWATA on a temporary basis. In losing President David Gish, we have faced the worst possible scenario as a District, but I am confident that the leaders in our District have, and will continue to rise to the occasion, putting our members first.

I have only two goals during these next months: to open the channels of communication within the SWATA, and to facilitate the transition of leadership to our next President, Josh Woodall. As we move forward, know that this Board’s priority is the members of the SWATA, and this priority drives every discussion and every decision.

My final thankful is that I was able to serve with President David Gish. Though his time as President was very short, his impact remains—a great leader with a passion for leaving this profession better than he found it, which he did.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Kathy I. Dieringer EdD, ATC, LAT

District Director

Developing a Student Aid program in the Secondary School Setting

Developing a Student Aid program in the Secondary School setting

I’ve had several friends and colleagues, even coaches at my school, ask me how I find and keep so many good student aids.  We treat our student aid program just like we would if we worked at the college level or if these students were employed through us.  We have high expectations of our students and hold them to a high standard.

I think there are several things that contribute to developing and sustaining an effective student aid program.  These are things we do at the high school where I work; there definitely is not a right or best way to do it… but this has been working for us over the past 5 years, and interest in our student aid program continues to grow. 

I think the first step is evaluating the needs of your athletic programs to determine how large, or small, you would like your staff.  We start the year with around 20 student aids, and typically have an additional 3 or 4 students in class that do not have obligations after school.  Inevitably, you will have student aids quit.  They either don’t know what they are truly getting in to, decide they want to spend their time doing other things, or move; but for whatever reason you will lose at least one student aid every year.  The extra students who start the year with no obligations can serve to fill those spaces, in the eventuality you have a student aid leave your staff.

Next, we have an application that all students interested in the student aid program complete.  The application includes a summation of duties and expectations, a brief questionnaire, and a grade report to be completed by the student’s current teachers.  We evaluate each application before contacting students for an interview.

During the interview, we go into more detail about what will be expected and required of the student aids in our program.  We stress the amount of time that is required to become a student aid, and try to reiterate that point several times during the interview.  We get to know each student to determine if they would be a good fit with our current staff.  Then, we answer questions the student may have for us.

Upon completion of the interviews, we send a letter to each student informing them whether we are offering them a position on our student aid staff, desiring them to take our class with no extracurricular obligations, or (in rare cases) saying “Thank you for your interest, but….”  I believe by treating the process of selecting our student aids as a professional application, we emphasize the importance we place on our program and give students selected a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Before the school year begins, we hold an in-service with our newly selected student aids to teach them basic skills we want them to know early on (e.g. CPR and First Aid, basic taping techniques, etc.), and then another with our entire staff to go over rules and procedures, brush up on basic skills, and prepare the athletic training room for the coming season.  Throughout the year, we hold monthly meetings to inform student aids on upcoming events and to discuss any issues that may have occurred.

We also try to have fun with our students. We carve pumpkins together at Halloween, have a Christmas party, and several other things throughout the year to show our student aids that we appreciate their hard work and dedication.   I know our students look forward to having homemade lasagna and Secret Santa at the Christmas party every year.

While this has worked for my school, you have to find something that works for you and your situation.  However, I encourage you to expect more from your student aids; if you hold them to a higher standard, they will begin to do the same for themselves and may surprise you with what they are capable of.

                                                                                    Written By: Kimber Rodgers

SWATA Young Professionals Committee: Annie's Advice

SWATA Young Professionals 

One group of young professionals that we like to give advice to are the recently graduated, and recently certified/licensed athletic trainers. We all remember our first year on the job, and the challenges we faced. I quickly learned that everything I learned in the classroom, was just a foundation for what was going to be thrown at me. Having a mentor with some tips to help along the way is a saving grace for many fresh athletic trainers. Below I have complied a list of “tips and tricks” to help the new athletic trainer get through the first few years in the profession.

-Get or Stay close to a mentor from the HS setting

-Know and learn your limitations

-Utilize fellow ATCs

-Be confident in your abilities

-Communicate with your team physician

-Evaluate the whole athlete, not just the suspected injury

-Don't be afraid to refer when necessary

-Work to educate your student athletes and others

-Be honest and straightforward with your athletes, parents, and coaches

-Don't be afraid to say NO

-Take time to have some fun

-Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. Take everything one-step at a time

-Listen to the Kids

-Get to know the janitors and secretaries

-Set up reasonable protocols

-Introduce yourself to the other team's ATC

-Don't be afraid to a risk

-Listen to those that have more experience than you, but also your students

-You're not going to get everything right 100% of the time. Failing is a part of it. 

-Try not to take work home with you

-Don't be afraid to ask for help

-Talk to the kids like they are adults

-Get to know your AD

http://www.nata.org/nata-news-blog/secondary-school-resources

Good luck on your career as an athletic trainer! Take it one day at a time, lean on others for advice and assistance, and most importantly, Have FUN! Welcome to the best profession out there. 

                                                                                  

                                                                                              Written By: Annie Nalepa