Summary for:

Athletic Trainers

Description:

Evaluate, advise, and treat athletes to assist recovery from injury, avoid injury, or maintain peak physical fitness.

Sample of reported job titles:

Sample of reported job titles: Athletic Trainer, Certified Athletic Trainer, Athletic Instructor, Clinical Instructor, Resident Athletic Trainer

Tasks | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Activites | Experience | Example | Education | Work Style | Work Values | Related Jobs | Wage | Employment | Expected Growth | Expected Need

Tasks:

  • Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care, and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
  • Care for athletic injuries using physical therapy equipment, techniques, and medication.
  • Evaluate athletes' readiness to play, and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
  • Apply protective or injury preventive devices such as tape, bandages, or braces to body parts such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
  • Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches and physicians.
  • Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries.
  • Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment.
  • Plan and implement comprehensive athletic injury and illness prevention programs.
  • Develop training programs and routines designed to improve athletic performance.
  • Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events.

Knowledge:

Medicine and Dentistry ó Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Customer and Personal Service ó Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Therapy and Counseling ó Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Clerical ó Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Biology ó Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Administration and Management ó Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
English Language ó Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Psychology ó Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Education and Training ó Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills:

Active Listening ó Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Time Management ó Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Reading Comprehension ó Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking ó Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination ó Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing ó Teaching others how to do something.
Speaking ó Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning ó Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Learning Strategies ó Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Monitoring ó Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities:

Problem Sensitivity ó The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Expression ó The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension ó The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Inductive Reasoning ó The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Speech Clarity ó The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Information Ordering ó The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Written Comprehension ó The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning ó The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Speech Recognition ó The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Near Vision ó The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Work Activities:

Assisting and Caring for Others ó Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems ó Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge ó Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships ó Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates ó Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
identifying Objects, Actions, and Events ó identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information ó Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Training and Teaching Others ó identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards ó Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others ó Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Work Experience:

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Work Examples:

These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.

Education Requirements:

A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Work Style:

Concern for Others ó Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Dependability ó Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Adaptability/Flexibility ó Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Cooperation ó Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail ó Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative ó Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity ó Job requires being honest and ethical.
Social Orientation ó Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Analytical Thinking ó Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Stress Tolerance ó Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Work Values:

Relationships ó Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement ó Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence ó Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Related Jobs:

29-1123.00 Physical Therapists In-Demand
29-1125.00 Recreational Therapists
29-1126.00 Respiratory Therapists In-Demand
29-2061.00 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses In-Demand
29-2091.00 Orthotists and Prosthetists
31-9096.00 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers In-Demand

Median Wage 2008:

$39,640 annual

Estimated Employment Total 2008:

17,000 employees

Projected Growth 2008:

Much faster than average (21% or higher)

Projected Need 2008:

7,000 additional employees