There is no question that this past year has been challenging for everyone. Many Athletic Trainers (ATs) likely found themselves confronted with job tasks and descriptions more aligned with public health than providing traditional athletic training services. Fortunately, ATs excel at adapting. This past year has been filled with example that demonstrate our versatility and willingness to step into new roles as needed.
When the pandemic came to our state, I transitioned into symptom screenings at the hospital of my employment. One of the most challenging aspects of screening who was and was not allowed to flow through the hospital was having to turn family members away from visiting their sick loved ones. I was later transitioned to assist in the emergency department. Rooming patients, taking health histories, monitoring vitals, and organizing the flow of traffic coming in and out of the ED were just a few responsibilities that were added to my new role as a ‘hospital AT.’ The best part about these responsibility changes was that I was prepared for every task I was asked to perform. Athletic training education not only prepares for rapid response and adjustment but also provides the skill sets that prepare us to valuable team members across numerous health care settings. I see us as the boy scouts of the medical profession, “always be prepared.”
My story is not unique. Many ATs throughout the pandemic have been stretched to adapt to new roles, filling necessary needs during an uncertain time. Serving on health-related boards, contact tracing, establishing safety precautions for returning to practice after the lockdown, discussing appropriate return-to-play strategies for those affected by COVID-19, are just a few of the many tasks ATs have been challenged with. We do incredible work and I hope that the AT experience during the pandemic will be captured and shared. For more information on how ATs are managing these challenging times, check out the NATA’s “Built for This,” campaign.
We are morally and ethically obligated to treat patients with a caring and compassionate approach across all settings. Seeing our response during the pandemic, I could not be prouder to call myself an Athletic Trainer.
Author: Elizabeth Bell, MS, ATC, LAT
STAR Physical Therapy- Cookeville, TN
Cookeville High School