NATA Now

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about stress and uncertainty in personal and professional lives. Prior to the pandemic, when athletic trainers were stressed and needing someone to talk to, ATs Care  was there. As NATA’s peer-support program, ATs would connect with a local member trained in peer-support/critical incident stress management to help to help the AT process his/her psychological response, often meeting face to face.

Editor’s note: The Strategic Alliance’s Athletic Training Research Agenda Task Force is highlighting clinical members who have been recognized by one of their colleagues in athletic training as a Clinical Scholar Champion for their efforts in collecting point of care research. This blog series will celebrate clinical scholars in order to illustrate how research is being used in the clinical practice.

As health care professionals, athletic trainers should be part of the conversation when preparing for employees to return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Safety Committee, housed within the Council on Practice Advancement (COPA), recently released the Temperature Flow Chart resource for ATs to share with their organization’s planning teams or administration when preparing to return to work.

In the June NATA News, the Health Care in Action feature highlighted how to build a connection with a journalist for better storytelling. Athletic trainers have a wealth of knowledge and experiences of interest to the general public. Having a great story to tell is one thing – how you actually get that story out is entirely different.

Here are five ways to ensure you’re delivering your story the best way possible:

Editor’s note: Throughout June, NATA News will share content written by members of the NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee related to different facets of LGBTQ+ health and patient care.

By Jennifer Raybern, MS, ATC, CSCS, and Emma Nye, DAT, LAT, ATC

NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee

Editor’s note: Throughout June, NATA News will share content written by members of the NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee related to different facets of LGBTQ+ health and patient care. For more information about transgender patient care and developing a transgender policy, read the latest Sports Medicine Legal Digest.

“COVID-19 teaches us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves,” said Kristinn Heinrichs, PhD, ATC, PT, an athletic trainer in Vicenza, Italy. The coronavirus pandemic has known no bounds; it doesn’t see territory lines or know cultural differences, it has affected athletic trainers in every part of the world. 

How Heinrichs, an athletic trainer specializing in patients with complex concussions in northern Italy,found some peace during the past three months has been through reflection on maintaining priorities and a daily routine, she said.

Mark your calendar! The 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo is July 13-16. VNATA 2020 is the premier educational experience for athletic trainers, athletic therapists, sport rehabilitators and other similar health care providers around the globe. VNATA 2020 will feature:

By Lorin Cartwright, MS, ATC, CAA, Sean Rogers, DAT, ATC, and Rebecca Lopez, PhD, ATC, CSCS

NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee

Editor’s note: Throughout June, NATA News will share content written by members of the NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee related to different facets of LGBTQ+ health and patient care. For more information about transgender patient care and developing a transgender policy, read the latest Sports Medicine Legal Digest.

By Kiah Sundermeir, MA, ATC, Preslee Rivera, ATS, Ney Jimmy Rodríguez, ATS

Editor’s note: Throughout June, NATA News will share content written by members of the NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee related to different facets of LGBTQ+ health and patient care.