Clinical Instruction Plan
III. Instruction of PM skills & CPs
IV. Evaluation of PM skills & CPs
V. Clinical Personnel Responsibilities
VI. Clinical Experiences & Rotations
VII. UTC-ATEP Supervision Policy
Full Clinical Instruction Plan (.pdf version)
I. UTC-ATEP Definitions
(From “Standards for the Accreditation of Entry-Level Athletic Training Education Programs” published by the Committee on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, December 7, 2007)
Ability to Intervene: The CI or ACI is within the immediate physical vicinity and interact with the ATS on a regular and consistent basis in order to provide direction and correct inappropriate actions. The same as being “physically present.”
Affiliate (Affiliated Setting): Institutions, clinics, or other health settings not under the authority of the sponsoring institution but that are used by the ATEP for clinical experiences.
Affiliation Agreement: A formal, written document signed by administrative personnel, who have the authority to act on behalf of the institution or affiliate, from the sponsoring institution and affiliated site. Same as the memorandum of understanding.
Allied Health Care Personnel: Chiropractor, Dentist, Registered Dietician, Emergency Medical Technician, Nurse Practitioner, Nutritionist, Paramedic, Occupational Therapist, Optometrist, Orthotist, Pharmacist, Physical Therapist, Physician Assistant, Podiatrist, Prosthetist, Psychologist, Registered Nurse or Social Worker who hold a current active state or national practice credential and/or certification in the discipline and whose discipline provides direct patient care in a field that has direct relevancy to the practice and discipline of Athletic Training. These individuals may or may not hold formal appointments to the instructional faculty. Same as other health care professionals. (12-7-07)
Approved Clinical Instructor (ACI): An appropriately credentialed professional identified and trained by the program CIE to provide instruction and evaluation of the Athletic Training Educational Competencies and/or Clinical Proficiencies. The ACI may not be a current student within the ATEP.
ATEP: Athletic Training Education Program.
ATEP Faculty: BOC Certified Athletic Trainers and other faculty who are responsible for classroom or sponsoring institution clinical instruction in the athletic training major.
Athletic Training Facility/Clinic: The facility designated as the primary site for the preparation, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletes and those involved in physical activity.
Athletic Training Student (ATS): A student enrolled in the athletic training major or graduate major equivalent. Program emphasis: An ATS will not provide care to patients unless it is under the direct supervision of an ACI or CI, and will not be used as a replacement for professional clinical staff.
Clinical Coordinator: The individual a program may designate as having the primary responsibilities for the coordination of the clinical experience activities associated with the ATEP. The clinical coordinator position is currently recommended, but not required by the Standards.
Clinical Education: The application of knowledge and skills, learned in classroom and laboratory settings, to actual practice on patients under the supervision of an ACI/CI.
Clinical Experiences: Those clinical education experiences for the Athletic Training. Student that involve patient care and the application of athletic training skills under the supervision of a qualified instructor.
Clinical Instruction Site: The location in which an ACI or CI interacts with the ATS for clinical experiences. If the site is not in geographical proximity to the ATEP, then there must be annual review and documentation that the remote clinical site meets all educational requirements.
Clinical Instructor (CI): An individual identified to provide supervision of athletic training students during their clinical experience. An ACI may be a CI. The ACI may not be a current student within the ATEP.
Clinical Instructor Educator (CIE): The BOC Certified Athletic Trainer recognized by the institution as the individual responsible for ACI training. If more than one individual is recognized as a CIE for an ATEP, then at least one of those individuals must be a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer.
Clinical Instruction Plan: The plan that encompasses all aspects of the clinical education and clinical experiences.
Clinical Ratio: The ratio of ACI or CI to the number of athletic training students. The ratio is calculated for all students assigned to the instructor for the length of the experience or academic term. The ratio must not exceed eight students per instructor.
Communicable Disease Policy: A policy, developed by the ATEP, consistent with the recommendations developed for other allied health professionals, that delineates the access and delimitations of students infected with communicable diseases. Policy guidelines are available through the CDC.
Didactic Instruction: See: Formal classroom and laboratory instruction.
Direct Patient Care: The application of professional knowledge and skills in the provision of health care.
Direct Supervision: Supervision of the athletic training student during clinical experience. The ACI and or CI must be physically present and have the ability to intervene on behalf of the athletic training student and the patient.
Formal Instruction: Teaching of required competencies and proficiencies with instructional emphasis in structured classroom and laboratory environment(s). Same as didactic instruction.
General Medical Experience: Clinical experience that involves observation and interaction with physicians, nurse practitioners, and/or physician assistants where the majority of the experience involves general medical topics as those defined by the Athletic Training Educational Competencies.
Learning Over Time (Mastery of Skills): The process by which professional knowledge and skills are learned and evaluated. This process involves the initial formal instruction and evaluation of that knowledge and skill, followed by a time of sufficient length to allow for practice and internalization of the information/skill, and then a subsequent re-evaluation of that information/skill in a clinical (actual or simulated) setting.
Medical Director: The physician (MD or DO) who serves as a resource for the programs director and ATEP faculty regarding the medical content of the curriculum. The Medical Director may also be the team physician; however, there is no requirement for the Medical Director to participate in clinical education.
Outcome Assessment Instruments: The instruments used for program evaluations that are designed to collect data and feedback in regard to outcomes that relate to the ATEP mission, goals, and objectives of the program. Instruments also must be designed to collect data and feedback in regard to the effectiveness of program instruction relative to the Athletic Training Educational Competencies.
Outcomes: The effect that the ATEP has on the preparation of students as entry-level athletic trainers and the effectiveness of the program to meet its mission, goals, and objectives.
Physical Examination: An examination performed by an appropriate health care provider (MD,DO, PA, NP) to verify that the student is able to meet the physical and mental requirements (i.e., technical standards) with or without reasonable accommodation as defined by the ADA.
Physically Interact: See: Ability to intervene and physically present.
Physically Present: See: Ability to intervene.
Physician: A Medical Doctor (MD) as defined by the American Medical Association or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) as defined by the American Osteopathic Association.
Program Director: The full-time faculty member of the host institution and a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer responsible for the administration and implementation of the ATEP.
Service Work: Volunteer activities outside of the required clinical experiences (e.g., Special Olympics, State Games). If athletic training skills are part of this service work, then they must be supervised in those activities.
Team Physician: The physician (MD or DO) responsible for the provision of health care services for the student athlete. S/he may also be the medical director; however, this is not required by the Standards.
Technical Standards: The physical and mental skills and abilities of a student needed to fulfill the academic and clinical requirements of the ATEP. The standards promote compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and must be reviewed by institutional legal counsel.
II. Qualifications: Initial Clinical Rotation
No student may begin the clinical education component of the program without formal admission into the ATEP and without completion of the clinical health and liability requirements.
Initial clinical experience placement for all students will be with the ACIs for UTC football. This clinical experience is part of the HHP 500 – Athletic Training Techniques course. The ATS must hold current CPR certification (Healthcare Provider/Professional Rescuer with AED) and have successfully completed all of the assigned skill evaluations prior to beginning this clinical experience. This will ensure that the ATS has obtained a basic skill level necessary to begin clinical education.
III. Instruction of Psychomotor Competencies and Clinical Proficiencies
Psychomotor Skills are first introduced and instructed in the curriculum (class/lab). The NATA Competency and Clinical Proficiency Matrix and ATEP Course Syllabi outline the specific skill breakdown per course. The UTC-ATEP course instructor formally teaches, demonstrates, supervises skill practice, and evaluates ATS skill competency (evaluation assisted by on-campus ACIs) for grade assignments. The ATS then has the opportunity to review and integrate clinical proficiencies (CP) in the clinical setting under the supervision of an ACI or CI. Formal CP evaluation can be completed only by an ACI.
Students should demonstrate continual advancement in the application of CPs as they progress through the clinical experiences and associated practicum courses (HHP 553, 563, 573, & 583). As the ATS progresses through the clinical education component of the ATEP, his/her ACI/CI should be physically present at all times allowing the student to appropriately apply didactically acquired skills into the clinical environment in "real-life" and simulated situations. The ACI/CI must be able to intervene on behalf of the athlete and be physically present on-site. ACI/CIs are expected to continually review and assess previously learned psychomotor skills and proficiencies and encourage application of newly acquired skills during the clinical education rotations. Again, the formal evaluation is conducted by the ACI. A complete description of the clinical proficiency evaluation process can be found in Section IV: Evaluation of Psychomotor Competencies and Clinical Proficiencies.
IV. Evaluation of Psychomotor Competencies and Clinical Proficiencies
This section describes the ATEP procedures for psychomotor skill and clinical proficiency evaluation. The evaluation plan was created to ensure consistency in instruction and evaluation among the evaluators within the program.
The ATS has an individual portfolio containing completed psychomotor skill and clinical proficiency evaluation records along with other materials. The folders are controlled and maintained by the ATEP Director. Copies of skill evaluation materials are provided to the ATS or to the ACI ahead of time, depending on the type/level of evaluation. Practical Examinations forms (psychomotor skills) are provided to the ATS by the course instructor and are also available for the student online in the Blackboard course. Clinical Proficiency Evaluations (Full Practical Evals and Clinical Scenario Simulations) are assessable only to the ACIs. Students are not permitted to see these evaluations ahead of time.
There are two primary methods by which the skill evaluations are performed. The first method is "Controlled" Psychomotor Skill Evaluations (Practical Exams) and the second method is "Clinical Setting" Clinical Proficiency Evaluations (Full Evaluations, Scenario/Simulations, and Patient Evaluations). A universal set of guidelines/forms for skill evaluation is utilized in both methods of evaluations. Each method is described below in detail.
Controlled Evaluations: Psychomotor Skill Evaluation
Psychomotor skills are assigned to specific didactic courses/labs according to content area (as indicated on the 4 th Edition NATA Competency Matrix) and are organized into Practical Examinations (as indicated on ATEP Course Syllabi). Skills are instructed in the course/lab. Following a period of supervised practice and peer evaluation, the ATS schedules a Practical Examination appointment with a UTC-ACI within two weeks of skill instruction. Only ACIs who are members of the UTC-ATEP faculty and staff (the “Evaluation Team”), rather than all ACIs, conduct the Controlled Evaluations. These evaluations must occur OUTSIDE of clinical experience hours and in a one-on-one format with the scheduled evaluator. Each member of the evaluation team is an ACI (who is an ATC), but may not necessarily be involved with the supervision of athletic training students during clinical experiences. Each member of the evaluation team is required to post at least three-hours per week of skill evaluation times outside of their office at least one week in advance. Students sign-up on these schedules and must complete an equal number of evaluations with each member of the evaluation team.
Every student must demonstrate a minimal level of performance in the evaluations. Scores lower than seventy percent (70%) on any of the evaluations will result in the student repeating the procedure until above 70% performance is demonstrated. The initial grade remains in the student's academic record for grading purposes. The ATEP Director maintains all controlled evaluation performance records and at the end of each semester, the records are placed in the student's clinical portfolio. NO SKILLS CAN BE APPLIED TO REAL PATIENTS UNTIL THE STUDENT HAS DEMONSTRATED THE MINIMAL LEVEL OF COMPETENCY. ALL SKILL APPLICATION ON PATIENTS MUST OCCUR UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ACI/CI.
The guidelines and descriptions of the PM skill evaluations are universally accepted by the Evaluation Team. These documents are revised and distributed annually. In addition, specific techniques and details are thoroughly discussed during designated meeting times throughout the semester. The detail and high level of communication (bi-monthly staff meetings and email communications as needed) among the evaluators ensures the consistency of instruction and evaluation.
Objectivity is maintained by utilizing evaluation tools with descriptive grading criteria. Each skill is broken down into essential tasks of the original skill. The evaluation tools are revised and reviewed as needed.
Clinical Setting Evaluations: Clinical Proficiency Evaluations
Full Evaluations
Full evaluations are comprehensive orthopedic evaluations with clinical decision-making components. These evaluations occur in the semester following the completion of the respective skills and are conducted in a one-on-one format with a member of the UTC Evaluation Team. These evaluations function as a transition from detailed individual skill evaluation to more “holistic” skill evaluation.
Scenario/Simulation Evaluations
Scenario/Simulation Evaluations are clinical-decision based evaluations using a trained-model that will provide feedback to the ATS based on specific questions asked. These evaluations are performed in the last semester of the program and are conducted in a one-on-one format with the ATEP Director, Clinical Coordinator, ATEP Faculty Member, or Head Athletic Trainer (all of whom are ACIs). The purpose of these evaluations is to provide an additional opportunity to confirm student proficiency and to ensure integration of clinical proficiency in “real-life” situations.
Patient Evaluations
Patient Evaluations consists of clinical proficiency integration into the clinical setting through application of skill with actual patients under the supervision of an ACI or CI. Only ACIs can sign-off on these evaluation; CIs are allowed and encouraged to provide feedback to the student on skill performance.
All ACIs who are assigned a student(s) must complete designated clinical proficiency and performance evaluations. An ACI will supervise one, but no more than eight (8) ATSs in the clinical setting. The assigned supervising ACI monitors the ATS's completion of the designated clinical proficiencies. Upon completion of the clinical experience, the ATEP Clinical Coordinator reviews all evaluation materials, which are then placed in the student clinical folder (for clinical performance evaluations) or portfolio (for skill evaluations).
Evaluation documents are distributed each rotation to the ATS and/or ACI. The first document is the Clinical Proficiency Matrix (with designated CPs for completion) that is currently being pilot tested with the first year athletic training students, and the second is the clinical rotation performance evaluation package. As CPs are integrated into the clinical setting, the ACI evaluates the student's performance and updates the CP Matrix appropriately. Each ATS must complete all of the clinical evaluations before moving on to the next rotation.
The clinical rotation performance evaluation package contains evaluation forms on the ACI, the ATS (Performance and Professional Fitness Evaluation) and, the Clinical Site/Experience. These forms are completed at the end of each clinical rotation (the Professional Fitness Form is completed at mid-term and end of the semester) by the ACI or the ATS. These forms utilize Likert-type evaluation scales for specific areas of professional and clinical competence.
V. Clinical Personnel Responsibilities
ACI Responsibilities
The ACI must be an ATC or other qualified health care professional with current credentialing and licensure within his or her respective discipline. A minimum of one-year experience in the respective discipline is also required. The ACI is responsible for assisting in the instruction and evaluation of clinical proficiencies and refinement of psychomotor skills. ACI personnel will include members of the UTC-ATEP faculty and Athletic Training Staff, and other certified athletic trainers who have at least one year of professional experience. All eligible candidates must complete a UTC-ATEP ACI Workshop, complete an ACI Review Workshop every three (3) years, and support the Policies and Procedures of the ATEP. The ACI must be familiar with the curriculum and have a high level of understanding of the evaluation guidelines. The ACI will provide instruction and supervision of the ATS. The ACI shall perform psychomotor and/or clinical proficiency instruction and evaluation, as well as professional performance evaluation throughout the educational experience. The ACI shall also be involved with the learning-over-time continuum during the clinical experience. The ACI understands that the student's role is not to provide cheap labor, meaning that the ATS should never be utilized as a replacement for staff or faculty or as a first-responder. The ACI will maintain contact with the ATEP through meetings (phone or in-person) and e-mail correspondence, to facilitate communication of the student's progress.
CI Responsibilities
The CI must be an ATC or other qualified health care professional with current credentialing and licensure within his or her respective discipline. A minimum of one-year experience in the respective discipline is also required. CIs are responsible for the instruction, evaluation, and supervision of athletic training students in the clinical setting. A CI is not charged with the formal evaluation of clinical proficiencies. The CI must support the Policies and Procedures of the ATEP and understand that the student's role is not to provide cheap labor, meaning that the ATS should never be utilized as a replacement for staff or faculty or as a first-responder. The CI will maintain contact with the ATEP through meetings (phone or in-person) and e-mail correspondence, to facilitate communication of the student's progress.
ATS Responsibilities
The student is responsible for being pro-active in the clinical education as well as the didactic component of the program. Students are often very organized in the class room setting, with dates and objectives clearly established. However, once in the clinical settings, students tend to become passive and wait for the learning to come to them, thereby not optimizing the experience. Clinical experiences provide vast opportunities for learning. Students must not expect the ACI or CI to make these opportunities happen. Although these supervisors are, in part, responsible for your clinical education, it is your responsibility to be organized and set specific objectives outlining what you want to accomplish in that experience. The ACI/CI has many other responsibilities in addition to student education; therefore assurance of student learning cannot realistically be expected to be a constant top priority. To facilitate this process, in each of the four (4) practicum courses, the student will provide the practicum instructor with a list of semester objectives (including short-term goals) for that semester. These goals will be reviewed by the instructor and monitored for progress/completion two-times through out the semester. These objectives should be shared with the assigned ACI or CI at the onset of the clinical rotation to provide the supervisor with direction with respect to the specific challenges you need.
VI. Clinical Experiences & Rotations
AT LEAST 75% OF ALL CLINICAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCES WILL OCCUR UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF AN ACI OR CI WHO IS AN ATC.
Affiliated Clinical Sites
To provide a well-rounded clinical education experience, we have affiliation agreements with area high schools, colleges, clinics, hospitals and physician offices. Affiliated sites must meet specified standards, and clinical hours can only be accrued at these affiliated sites. These policies and standards ensure that students have liability insurance coverage through UTC and are provided with a worthwhile educational experience. The Clinical Coordinator assigns students to ACIs and CIs at the various clinical affiliate sites. Travel and travel expenses to and from each clinical site are the responsibility of the student and will be dependent upon the distance from the site, current gasoline prices and the frequency of trips to and from these sites. The Affiliated Clinical Site List, as well as a map and directions for each site is available from the Program Director and can be located on the program website.
First Year Clinical Placements
Students complete ten, three-week rotations of on-campus and off-campus experiences with ACIs and CIs. These experiences include exposure to a variety settings and populations, varying levels of injury risk (e.g., football), and different types of protective equipment, as well as general medical experiences that address the continuum of care which will prepare a student to function in a variety of practice settings. These experiences are also designed to address the domains of practice delineated for an entry-level athletic trainer. Specific rotation placement for students is randomized to ensure fair and equal opportunity for all students. Each student is randomly assigned a number which corresponds to specific clinical placement on the table below. Students are then assigned to the ACI or CI affiliated with the listed clinical assignments in the table.
First Year Clinical Placement Table
Second Year Clinical Placements
Students will complete two 8-week rotations and one 14-week rotation (1-2 students may complete four 8-week rotations upon their request). The 14-week rotation is designed to allow the ATS to spend an entire season with a particular ACI to become fully involved with the daily care of athletes. The remaining rotations are selected from high school, college/university, rehabilitation, or physician observation opportunities. Previously, 2nd year student clinical experiences consisted of four 8-week rotations. We are implementing this change as a result of student and ACI/CI requests to allow the opportunity for some of the clinical experiences to be longer to enable the student to experience a full sport season with the assigned ACI/CI.
Students provide the Clinical Coordinator with their top three placement requests during the spring semester of the first year. On-campus clinical experience requests will result in an interview with the respective on-campus ACI. Specifically, the interview will take form in a group session of all students with an ACI panel (all on-campus ACIs will be present). Upon completion of the interview process, the ACIs will provide input to the Clinical Coordinator regarding placement. Although we believe the interview process provides a valuable experience and preparation for career advancement upon graduation, the result of the interview is not the final determinant for student placement. The Clinical Coordinator will take ACI input into consideration; however the final placement decision is made by the Clinical Coordinator in consultation with the Program Director. Although student requests are considered, it is important for students to understand that student preferences are not required, not all requests can be granted, and that additional factors must also be taken into consideration, such as:
- Past didactic and clinical performance in the ATEP
- Past clinical experiences in the ATEP (ensuring fulfillment of all necessary requirements relating to the required clinical education exposures)
- Current certifications
- Maturity and professionalism
- Professional goals of the ATS
- Personal attributes of the ATS
- Past disciplinary actions
Below is the Second Year Clinical Placement Schedule implemented for the 2008-2009 year to provide an example of how the clinical experiences can be planned. Again, student are assigned to the ACI/CI affiliated with the listed clinical placement.
Students with 16 week fall assignments |
||||
A. T. Student |
16 wk assignment |
3rd - 8 wk assignment |
4th - 8 wk assignment |
|
@ |
FB |
Baylor |
Ortho |
|
# |
FB |
Ortho |
Chatt State |
|
$ |
FB |
Boyd |
Baylor |
|
% |
FB |
Ortho |
GPS |
|
& |
SOC |
Chatt State |
Covenant |
|
* |
VB |
Covenant |
LFO |
|
Students with 16 week Winter assignments |
||||
A. T. Student |
1st – 8 wk assignment |
16 wk assignment |
4th - 8 wk assignment |
|
+ |
Ortho |
MBB |
Boyd |
|
? |
LFO |
WBB |
Ortho/Rehab |
|
>< |
Boyd |
WR |
Ortho |
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Students with 16 week Spring assignments |
||||
A. T. Student |
1st – 8 wk assignment |
2nd – 8 wk assignment |
16 wk assignment |
|
= |
Baylor |
Ortho |
SB |
|
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Ringgold |
Baylor |
SB |
|
<> |
Covenant |
Ortho |
FB |
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Students with 4 – 8 week assignments |
||||
~ |
Chat State |
Covenant |
GPS |
Student Health |
^ |
GPS |
Rehab |
Student Health |
Ringgold |
General Medical Experiences
Each first year student completes a three-week rotation (approximately 45 hours) at the UT College of Medicine Family Practice (UTFP) Clinic and no less than 10 hours at an affiliated emergency room. Students are also invited to attend the educational lunch seminars during the UTFP clinical experience. Second-year students complete 10-15 hours at the University Health Services.
Additional Clinical Experience Opportunities
There are opportunities for interested students to gain experience in numerous sports medicine and rehabilitation clinics. Other sites may be incorporated as they become available and are proven to provide educational benefits. Formal evaluations of student progress and performance will be completed at mid-semester and at the end of the semester by the assigned ACI.
Clinical Education Hour Requirement
Each ATS will complete no less than 150 hours in their first semester (average 45 hours/3 week rotation) and 200 hours in the second through fourth semesters (average 60 hours/3 week). Hours will be submitted by rotation for first year students and monthly for second year students. Time sheets will be located in each of the athletic training facilities and on the ATEP website. The ATS should sign in when arriving and sign out at the completion of each day. Recorded times should be correct to the nearest quarter hour. The supervising ACI or CI must initial the student's time sheet weekly (daily with rotating ACIs) and ensure that the description of activities (i.e, sport, general medical) are recorded accurately. In compliance with CAATE standards and the NCAA regulations, all students must have one day off per week. No exceptions. The UTC-ATEP faculty will monitor student hours and make adjustments when appropriate. The Coordinator of Clinical Placement will import student hours into a database and provide reports to the ATEP Director each semester. Monitoring will also be utilized to ensure that equal and fair opportunities exist for the ATS.
Criteria for ATS Progression Through Clinical Experiences
The clinical education component of the ATEP is associated with academic credit in the four practicum courses: HHP 553, 563, 573, and 583. The ATS must receive a grade of "C" or higher to progress into the next practicum and/or clinical experience. Each syllabus will describe the components used to determine the grade, but in general, a student must complete all of the required clinical experience hours and coursework, receive satisfactory performance evaluations from the ACI and CI, and complete the clinical proficiency evaluations required for the respective course to progress to the next practicum course.
Athletic training students will also be evaluated on personal and professional competency through the Professional Fitness Evaluation at mid-semester and the conclusion of each semester. The Professional Fitness Policy is a component of the UTC ATEP Policies and Procedures (Student Policy Manual).
VII. UTC-ATEP Supervision Policy
The UTC-ATEP Clinical Supervision Policy is compliant with CAATE accredidation standards and the Tennessee Athletic Training Practice Act.
Direct Supervision (physically present) describes the supervision required of Athletic Training Students during clinical experiences. The ACI/CI must be physically present and have the ability to intervene on behalf of the patient and the Athletic Training Student. This requirement, however, is not synonymous with preventing students from making independent clinical decisions or requiring the clinical instructor to stand next to the student at all times.
The ATEP incorporates CAATE’s recommendation for utilizing the graded supervision method which initially involves close monitoring (Key words: hip pocket), but once a student demonstrates proficiency and has some experience with a particular skill, that student should be granted supervised autonomy (i.e. permitted to initiate actions, perform initial evaluations, and develop and implement rehabilitation plans with the clinical instructor in the same room/field where he/she can see and hear the student, but not necessarily looking over the student’s shoulder). This level of supervision positions students to learn maximally at all times while still allowing for timely feedback and prompt correction of improper behaviors/techniques. Direct Supervision still encourages independent actions, positioning students to develop “real world” critical thinking abilities, and does not infer that all student actions should be prompted or directed.
TRAVEL POLICY
Students will have the opportunity to accompany an ACI/CI to away competitions as space and budgetary constraints allow. Athletic Training Students are not allowed to travel without a supervising ACI/CI and will never be used to replace an ATC in this respect. When traveling you must follow all the rules and regulations that apply to the athletes from that institution. The UTC Code of Student Conduct is in affect at any time you are in class, accruing clinical hours or representing UTC.
FIRST RESPONDER POLICY
The ATEP faculty does not support unsupervised clinical education experiences for students and believe that using students in this capacity exposes those involved to liability risk, conflicts with the mission of the program and violates CAATE Standards. For this reason, students are only assigned to supervised clinical experiences and therefore cannot be used as First Responders during ATEP-related clinical experiences.
In the case where a student would be left unsupervised (e.g., ACI/CI leaves to take a phone call or use the restroom), the student is instructed to leave the clinical experience site. Unsupervised experiences cannot be mandated of any student. If the ATS voluntarily chooses not to leave the site, the student is required to function only as a CPR/First Aid trained individual would function and must not be referred to as an “Athletic Training Student”. In these situations, students are allowed to apply only those skills deemed appropriate by the CPR/First Aid certifying agency (First Aid/CPR Agreement). At no time should the student utilize athletic training skills related to: evaluation to determine participation status, therapeutic modality and/or exercise application, or taping and wrapping skills (unless involved in emergency wound care situations). This unsupervised time period is not considered in the accumulation of clinical experience hours.
Students are not permitted to volunteer for clinical activities (e.g., sport camps or internships) that are outside the requirements of the ATEP, unless the ATEP can document that the students are protected under the University's liability insurance in these roles and that this practice is within the Tennessee AT practice act.
