Student Handbook: Preamble

Dave Hammons EdD, LAT, ATC, PES
Program Director, Athletic Training Program
Phone: 208-426-4863
Email: davidhammons@boisestate.edu

Gen Ludwig EdD, LAT, ATC
Coordinator of Clinical Education, Athletic Training Program
Phone: 208-426-4216
Email: genludwig@boisestate.edu

Philip Ford PhD, LAT, ATC, PES, CES
Clinical Professor, Athletic Training Program
Phone: 208-426-4278
Email: philipford@boisestate.edu

John McChesney PhD, LAT, ATC
Associate Professor, Athletic Training Program
Phone: 208-426-1481
Email: johnmcchesney@boisestate.edu

Scott Scheffel M.D.
Medical Director, Athletic Training Program
Idaho Sports Medicine Institute
Phone: 208-336-8250

BSU MAT Preceptors and Medical Staff

In effort to promote professionalism and standard nomenclature within the athletic training profession, it is imperative that students, faculty, and preceptors use the most up-to-date terminology to reflect current educational and clinical practices.

The terms “trainer,” “training room,” and “student trainer” should be avoided within the BSU ATP. The recommend and proper nomenclature is “athletic trainer” or “AT,” “athletic training facility/clinic,” and “athletic training student or AT student.”

• Athletic Trainers: Health care professionals who render service or treatment, under the direction of or in collaboration with a physician, in accordance with their education and training and the state’s statutes, rules, and regulations. As a part of the health care team, services provided by athletic trainers include primary care, injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergent care, examination and clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions
• Athletic Training Faculty: core faculty that teaching specific athletic training content in the program who are also athletic trainers
•  ATS, Athletic Training Student, Student: BSU student admitted to the athletic training program
•  Athletic training clinical experiences: Direct client/patient care guided by a preceptor who is an athletic trainer or physician.
• BOC Inc.: Board of Certification for Athletic Training, certification body for athletic training
• CAATE: Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, accreditation body for athletic training program
• Clinical Education: A broad umbrella term that includes three types of learning opportunities to prepare students for independent clinical practice athletic training clinical experiences, simulation, and supplemental clinical experiences.
• Coordinator of Clinical Education, (CCE / CEC): administrator over the clinical portion of the program.
• Clinical Practice Course (clinical education portion): course that connects didactic learning to clinical practice. All clinical education requirements are managed through these 6 courses
• Clinical Site/Rotation: A facility where a student is engaged in clinical education.
• Direct Patient Contact/Care: the application of athletic training services directly to a patient (hands-on) as part of their care
• Direct Supervision: Supervision of the athletic training student during clinical experience.
• Education Competencies: Athletic training knowledge, skills, and abilities formally evaluated by course instructors (core faculty)
• ISBM: Idaho State Board of Medicine is the licensing board for athletic training.
• Immersive Clinical Experience: A practice-intensive experience that allows the student to experience the totality of care provided by athletic trainers.
• Interprofessional Education: When students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.
• LAT: Licensed Athletic Trainer – Idaho
• NATA: National Athletic Trainers Association
• Patient-Centered Care: Care that is respectful of, and responsive to, the preferences, needs, and values of an individual patient, ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions. Patient-centered care is characterized by efforts to clearly inform, educate, and communicate with patients in a compassionate manner. Shared decision making and management are emphasized, as well as continuous advocacy of injury and disease prevention measures and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
• Preceptor: Preceptors supervise and engage students in clinical education. All preceptors must be licensed health care professionals and be credentialed by the state in which they practice. Preceptors who are athletic trainers are state credentialed (in states with regulation), certified, and in good standing with the Board of Certification. A preceptor’s licensure must be appropriate to his or her profession. Preceptors must not be currently enrolled in the professional athletic training program at the institution. Preceptors for athletic training clinical experiences identified in Standards 14 through 18 must be athletic trainers or physicians.
• Program Director: administrator over the athletic training program.
• Simulation: An educational technique, not a technology, to replace or amplify real experiences with guided experiences that evoke or replicate substantial aspects of the real world in a fully interactive manner.
• Supervision: Supervision occurs along a developmental continuum that allows a student to move from interdependence to independence based on the student’s knowledge and skills as well as the context of care. Preceptors must be on-site and have the ability to intervene on behalf of the athletic training student and the patient. Supervision also must occur in compliance with the state practice act of the state in which the student is engaging in client/patient care.
• Value-Based Care Models: Health care delivery system focused on the value of care delivered rather than on a fee for-services approach

The Athletic Training Program at Boise State University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The BSU AT Program has a rich history of accreditation beginning in 1982 and is currently fully accredited through the 2027-2028 academic year.

The 6th edition of the Athletic Training Education Competencies (2020 Competencies) provides educational program personnel and others with the knowledge, skills, and clinical abilities to be mastered by students enrolled in professional athletic training education programs. Mastery of these Competencies provides the entry–level athletic trainer with the capacity to provide athletic training services to clients and patients of varying ages, lifestyles, and needs. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) requires that the Competencies be instructed and evaluated in each accredited professional athletic training education program. The Competencies serve as a companion document to the accreditation standards, which identify the requirements to acquire and maintain accreditation, published by CAATE.

The core competencies are categorized in the following areas:

1. Patient-Centered Care
2. Interprofessional Practice and Interprofessional Education
3. Evidence-Based Practice
4. Quality Improvement
5.  Health Care Informatics
6. Professionalism
7. Patient / Client Care
8. Prevention, Health Promotion and Wellness
9. Health Care Administration

© 2019 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education

These basic behaviors permeate professional practice and should be incorporated into instruction and assessed throughout the educational program.

• Recognize sources of conflict of interest that can affect the client/patient’s health.
• Know and apply the commonly accepted standards for patient confidentiality.
• Provide the best healthcare available for the client/patient.
• Advocate for the needs of the client/patient.

• Recognize the unique skills and abilities of other healthcare professionals.
• Understand the scope of practice of other healthcare professionals.
• Execute duties within the identified scope of practice for athletic trainers.
• Include the patient (and family, where appropriate) in the decision-making process.
• Work with others in affecting positive patient outcomes

• Practice athletic training in a legally competent manner.
• Identify and conform to the laws that govern athletic training.
• Understand the consequences of violating the laws that govern athletic training

• Comply with the NATA’s Code of Ethics and the BOC’s Standards of Professional Practice.
• Understand the consequences of violating the NATA’s Code of Ethics and BOC’s Standards of Professional Practice.
• Comply with other codes of ethics, as applicable.

• Critically examine the body of knowledge in athletic training and related fields.
• Use evidence-based practice as a foundation for the delivery of care.
• Appreciate the connection between continuing education and the improvement of athletic training practice.
• Promote the value of research and scholarship in athletic training.
• Disseminate new knowledge in athletic training to fellow athletic trainers, clients/patients, other healthcare professionals, and others as necessary.

• Demonstrate awareness of the impact that clients’/patients’ cultural differences have on their attitudes and behaviors toward healthcare.
• Demonstrate knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills necessary to achieve optimal health outcomes for diverse patient populations.
• Work respectfully and effectively with diverse populations and in a diverse work environment.

• Advocate for the profession.
• Demonstrate honesty and integrity.
• Exhibit compassion and empathy.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills.