What are the Traits of a Successful Athletic Trainer?

Do you want to become an athletic trainer? Once you have earned your Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and earned your certification, it is important to know what employers are looking for. Here are some traits that can help you land a job with your dream team:

Table of Contents:

• Confidence
• Communication Skills
• Detail-Oriented
• Compassion
• Good Decision-Making Abilities
• A Love for the Field

Confidence

Athletic trainers are knowledgeable in a wide variety of areas, from human anatomy and physiology to the care, treatment and prevention of athletic injuries. With their knowledge and experience, it is important for athletic trainers to be confident in their abilities. When working with injured athletes, their confidence and knowledge will help allow them to bring their patients back to full recovery.

Communication Skills

Being able to communicate effectively is valuable in every job, but it is especially important in the athletic training field. As an athletic trainer, you will work with all kinds of patients from a wide variety of backgrounds. In addition, you may work in many different types of settings treating all kinds of injuries. Therefore, having good interpersonal skills will allow you to develop relationships with your patients.

Detail-Oriented

As a healthcare profession, athletic training requires great attention to detail. Oftentimes, athletic trainers work with athletes who are injured and want to return to the field as soon as possible. The recovery process can be long and tedious, but trainers who are attentive and detail-oriented can help their patients make a full recovery and decrease their chances of being injured again (Clapp, B.).

Compassion

Athletic trainers often assist their patients during hard times. As an athlete, it can be devastating to experience an injury. Athletic trainers must be able to show compassion and optimism to their patient on the road to recovery. A great trainer will encourage their patients to never give up and to keep fighting. Seeing patients make a full recovery is one of the many reasons to go into athletic training!

Good Decision-Making Abilities

In athletics, emergency situations can arise. Oftentimes, when an athlete is injured, the athletic trainer is the first to the scene. For this reason, it is important for them to have good decision-making abilities. For example, an athletic trainer may have to decide if the athlete can return to the field or if this would be detrimental to their health. Trainers must be able to take all of the available information into account and make a decision that has the best interest of their patient in mind.

A Love for the Field

Having a passion for the field of athletic training will allow trainers to be successful. Athletic trainers who love what they do are willing to be all in and do whatever it takes to help their patients. So, if you are applying for a job, being passionate about your career is one of the most important traits to demonstrate!

Grand Canyon University’s College of Nursing and Health Care Professions offers a wide range of degree programs. To learn more about these healthcare degrees, visit our website or use the request more information button at the top of the page.

Written by Lauren Abraham, a senior earning a communications degree at GCU.

Reference:

• Clapp, B. (2015). The Top Qualities Teams Want in an Athletic Trainer. Retrieved from workinsports.com/blog/the-top-qualities-teams-want-in-an-athletic-trainer