1/27/2019 0 Comments Reflective Journal #2I feel like there are quite a few problems facing the profession, and they all are intertwined with each other. I believe the first problem facing the profession is the issue of burnout. Athletic trainers often work very long hours with very few days off. I can imagine that in the collegiate setting, athletic trainers can often feel overwhelmed because of the amount of athletes - kind of like “there are so many of them and only one of me”. Being with baseball right now even makes me feel overwhelmed at times, and I am still not solely responsible for the team. It is difficult to keep up with all the athletes and what is going on with each of them. Additionally, it is frustrating when you have a desire to implement certain things, such as a prevention program for shoulder injuries, but you don’t have the manpower nor the space or time to implement the program.
Along with burnout, I believe the underpaying of athletic trainers is another issue that the profession faces. Athletic trainers are highly qualified and extremely beneficial assets to have not only in an athletic setting, but also in other settings such as hospitals, physical therapy clinics, and other business; however, athletic trainers are often immensely underpaid in relation to their education and hours worked. I personally know individuals who have left the field because they knew they could not acquire the income that they desired by being an athletic trainer, one of which moved into dog treat sells and now makes six figures annually. I believe this aspect of the job shows the passion that athletic trainers have for their patients. Lastly, being underappreciated and underestimated is a major problem that athletic trainers face. Many more individuals than I would like to admit still believe that an athletic trainer is a personal trainer instead of a healthcare provider. I have seen coaches actively resist the decisions of an athletic trainer because of a lack of respect and/or lack of appreciation. Another example would be how many people believe that the athletic trainers in the NFL are “waterboys”. We are good at many things, and it is insulting when people believe that all we can do is gather water and tape ankles. No way, we can do all of that AND save your life if we need to. This is the reason why we need to push to educate everyone we can about our profession in hopes that we will gain respect in the healthcare realm and hopefully increase the desire for athletic trainers in the workforce.
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