Can an associates in athletic training be of value to an RN?

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jun 4, 2011

Physical therapy or sports medicine clinics. Maybe occupational health. Wilderness medicine. But you'll know more about RICE and Ace bandages than any nurse will!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 5, 2011

Sports Medicine can be interesting. If you really want to get into it, get your Bachelor's in it. Qualify for and take the NATABOC Exam.You will learn a LOT more about the field than you would have by just getting an Associate's Degree in it. You will know a LOT about evaluating various locations for safety concerns, you will know a LOT about injury prevention, nutrition and sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, you will know a LOT about evaluating and determining what the injury is, how severe it is, whether or not to refer to the physician, post injury care and rehab all the way back to return to activity, how to use a whole bunch of therapeutic modalities, and a whole lot of critical thinking. The downside of this is that you're learning along the medical model.

If you make the switch to thinking along the nursing model, your background should make you very useful in rehab, orthopedic, trauma, and a few other areas of nursing.

The other downside to Sports Medicine is that you will be learning a LOT about a pretty specialized field. There aren't many employment option in that field.

The good new about the field is that the most of the prerequisites you take for this field are the same prerequisites you take for pretty much all healthcare fields. Typically though, you won't find an Athletic Trainer taking Micro or O-chem. Take the typical Sports Med prereq's and Micro and/or O-chem and you're good to go for pretty much all healthcare fields.

Oh, and Sports Med is NOT easy.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 5, 2011

I think it is limited now ... but I believe there is room to develop new opportunities. As the baby boomers age, we are trying to stay active -- getting new knees and hips, going to the gym, etc. Retirement communities have activity programs that will soon need to accommodate the boomer retirees who don't want to just sit still and do crafts.

I believe someone with an entrepreneurial spirit might be able to create some new programs that provide wellness/health/fitness support to us. As a consumer, I would be interested in such services -- but you might need more than 2 Associate's Degrees to be successful at that. You'd probably need more advanced education in either the general fitness field or in nursing. But I can see the 2 fields combining into something marketable for the right person.

Magz · Jun 7, 2011

I actually have a Bachelors in Athletic Training and am working on my nursing degree right now. I found Athletic training to be helpful with some areas of nursing. I don't think they do associates in it anymore, only Bachelors.

AT is very broad and there is a lot to know. The BOC is not easy and I have failed it 3 time with this last time being 36 points away from passing. They make you know things that AT's don't do anymore.

Its also very hard to find AT jobs. No one wants to leave the job they have. I didn't want to get my masters in it because I got the college experience and I want to have a family. College and pro ATs don't have much free time.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 7, 2011

i actually have a bachelors in athletic training and am working on my nursing degree right now. i found athletic training to be helpful with some areas of nursing. i don't think they do associates in it anymore, only bachelors.
my bachelor's is also in athletic training. correct. bachelor's degree is the minimum preparation that the nataboc requires.
at is very broad and there is a lot to know. the boc is not easy and i have failed it 3 time with this last time being 36 points away from passing. they make you know things that at's don't do anymore.
that's an understatement. through a series of unfortunate events, i wasn't able to sit for the nataboc, but not because i wasn't qualified. eventually, i may re-do the internship and requalify for the exam.
its also very hard to find at jobs. no one wants to leave the job they have. i didn't want to get my masters in it because i got the college experience and i want to have a family. college and pro ats don't have much free time.
very true. unless they're also instructional staff, or they've been there a long time, they also don't make much money.

for nurses: do not underestimate the knowledge that athletic trainers bring to the table. they can be surprisingly good clinicians and diagnosticians...

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 7, 2011

I think that there are many emerging opportunities for blending these two skill areas. I would not be surprised if this became a new focus/specialty for nurses seeking a masters in nursing rehab. Bariatric clinics, particularly those that have effective follow-up, will be incorporating physical conditioning programs. This (unfortunately) cuts across a wide demographic in terms of age. Another opportunity is in cardiac rehab. Many large facilities have a phase I program, but patients have difficulty if there are no suitable facilities for them after discharge.

There are also specialized physical conditioning programs for medically fragile children associated with many Pedi hospitals - The possibilities would only seem to be limited by reimbursement structures.