Professional Communication and Confidentiality
Students in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Master of Science in Athletic Training Program are expected to communicate professionally and protect patient confidentiality throughout all clinical education experiences.
- University or clinical-site email accounts should be used for professional communication whenever available. Email signatures should clearly identify the sender as a University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletic Training Student and may also include the student’s program, anticipated graduation year, and appropriate University contact information.
- Communication should be appropriate for the intended audience, clinical setting, and situation. Students should consider the patient’s health literacy, communication needs, and their own role and responsibilities as an athletic training student.
- Vulgar, discriminatory, disrespectful, or otherwise unprofessional language is not appropriate in the clinical environment. Slang, text-message abbreviations, and overly casual communication should be avoided in verbal communication, written correspondence, and patient documentation.
- Students should acknowledge and appropriately greet individuals who enter the athletic training facility or clinical setting. These individuals may include patients, parents or family members, administrators, coaches, healthcare professionals, or other visitors. Students are representatives of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the MSAT Program, and the clinical site.
- When completing or signing patient documentation, students must use a designation that clearly identifies them as an athletic training student, such as “ATS,” in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and clinical site policies. Students must not represent themselves as licensed or credentialed athletic trainers.
- Confidential patient information may only be discussed with individuals who are directly involved in the patient’s care or clinical supervision, including the student’s preceptor, supervising healthcare professionals, and others authorized by the preceptor. Students must not discuss confidential patient information with unauthorized individuals, including members of the media, spectators, professional scouts, friends, roommates, parents, spouses or partners, other students, or faculty members who are not involved in the patient’s care or clinical education oversight.
- Students must not take, store, post, transmit, or share photographs, videos, audio recordings, screenshots, or other recordings of patients or patient information unless specifically authorized for a legitimate educational or clinical purpose and completed in accordance with patient consent requirements, University policy, clinical site policy, and applicable privacy laws.
Failure to maintain professional communication or protect patient confidentiality may result in removal from the clinical site and additional action in accordance with MSAT Program, University, and clinical site policies.