Being an athletic training student does present at small but real health risk. Athletic trainers frequently come into contact with athletes who are ill with potentially infectious diseases, and they often are required to tape or bandage wounds that present the potential to come into contact with blood borne pathogens. In addition, athletic trainers who are ill with an infectious disease may present a health risk to athletes.

The University of Nebraska Athletic Medicine Department aspires to prevent exposure to disease for both staff and athletes, insure the health and welfare of the athletic training staff, and put into place procedures for following post-exposure care.

Incoming Athletic training students

Students in ATHT 146 who plan to apply for admission to the athletic training education program will receive a health history form with their admission application. This form will be turned into the team physician who will review them.

Upon review of the history, the team physician will determine if the student will require a follow up interview or physical examination. If it is deemed necessary, the student and team physician will make an appointment at an agreeable time.

The team physician will report to the Director of Athletic Training Education the status of the applicants to the program. Determination of status will be based on:
1. General health that is adequate to meet the physical demands for athletic trainers
2. Current vaccinations
3. Control of chronic disease states (i.e. asthma, allergies, and diabetes) that will allow the athletic training student to function in a daily work environment.
4. Control and ongoing care of chronic infectious diseases, which may pose risk to student athletes and athletic medicine, staff members.

To maintain confidentiality, the team physician will not report individual information with the education director except when it is determined that such information is medically necessary to protect staff and athletes. The athletic training student will be informed of such decisions before the information in transmitted.

Infection control

The use of universal precautions to limit the exposure to blood borne pathogens is necessary to limit the risk to athletic training students. OSHA blood borne pathogen training for medical workers will be conducted each fall, and will be annually required for each athletic training student. At this session, review of institutional and program infection control policies will also be done.

Hepatitis B vaccinations will be provided through the student health service at no cost to the athletic training student.

Ill Athletic training students

Athletic training students must realize that ill health care workers present some risk to the patients they treat and come into contact with. To limit this risk, the following steps should be followed.
1. The athletic training student who becomes ill with a potentially infectious disease should seek medical help through the Team physician, student health service, personal physician, or through other local medical providers.
2. If it is determined that the athletic training student has any potentially infectious disease, they are asked to relate that information to the team physician before their next scheduled clinical work time.
3. The team physician will determine if the athletic training student requires examination before returning to work. The physician may schedule an examination, bar the athletic training student from reporting, or allow the athletic training student to report to work.
4. If the physician determines either through interview or examination that the athletic training student should not report for their clinical assignment, he will inform the staff supervisor of his decision.
5. Staff supervisors may require that an athletic training student who appears ill be examined, either by the team physician or through other health care providers.
6. The team physician must examine athletic training students who miss any clinical time due to infectious illness before they are allowed to resume their work schedule.

Technical Standards Policy for Admission

The Athletic Training Educational Program at the University of Nebraska is a rigorous and intense program that places specific requirements and demands on the students enrolled in the program. An objective of this program is to prepare graduates to enter a variety of employment settings and to render care to a wide spectrum of individuals engaged in physical activity. The technical standards set forth by the Athletic Training Educational Program establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as meet the expectations of the program's accrediting agency (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs [CAAHEP]).

Admission Requirements

All students admitted to the Athletic Training Educational Program must satisfy the following abilities and expectations. In the event a student is unable to fulfill these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, the student will not be admitted into the program. Compliance with the programs technical standards does not guarantee a students eligibility for the NATA-BOC athletic trainer certification exam.

Candidates for retention in the Athletic Training Educational Program must demonstrate:
1. The mental capacity to assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve to formulate assessment and therapeutic judgments and to be able to distinguish deviations from the norm.
2. Sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, sensory function, and coordination to perform appropriate physical examinations using accepted techniques; and accurately, safely and efficiently use equipment and materials during the assessment and treatment of patients.
3. The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and colleagues, including individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds; this includes, but is not limited to, the ability to establish rapport with patients and communicate judgments and treatment information effectively. Students must be able to understand and speak the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice.
4. The ability to record the physical examination results and a treatment plan clearly and accurately.
5. The capacity to maintain composure and continue to function well during periods of high stress.
6. The perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete the athletic training education program as outlined and sequenced.
7. Flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations.
8. Affective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality patient care.

Verification of the students ability to meet these standards will be assessed yearly.