Bart Peterson and Jennifer Rheeling join the SMB to discuss the current recommendations and considerations created by the NATA Secondary Schools Athletic Trainer Committee to help you create your COVID19 RTP.
We need to reconsider EAPs to include social distancing guidelines.
What about lightning…now, where will they go?
Know what phase of COVID19 RTP you are in from the local public health department.
Know the terminology and how its is defined:
Phase 2 is groups of 50. Is that on the field or altogether outside at once?
Covid response team
Who is on yours?
They need to know what the plan of action is if you have a room full of kids and one test positive with temps or signs and symptoms.
ATs are a key component in risk mitigation
Being part of the decision-making process is important.
We also have to know how we are going to take care of the over 55 population…coaches, teachers, and officials.
Communication with the school nurse is crucial and this is a great way to build the bridge.
Cleaning Supplies
Districts may need to buy them out of another fund or fund next years purchases now even though budgets have not opened
Hydration
NO water sources until phase 3
Illness Reporting – start with the state, including local, report up the chain.
Telemedicine –
Congress made this easier during COVID19
Need consent each time you do a telemedicine video
One way the NATA is working to improve the practice of secondary school athletic trainers is through a new online tool launched in 2019 called PASS (Some features require NATA login credentials).
Today on the podcast John talks with Bart and Larry about the online tool they helped create through an entire year of data collection, research and collaboration.
What is PASS?
PASS is an online tool available to secondary school athletic trainers that are NATA members. The tool takes the AT through 12 standards with narratives and annotations that can help ensure that can help elevate the care at a secondary school and ensure that you are practicing at the highest level.
Who should use PASS and how should it be used?
Bart and Larry encourage all secondary school AT’s to login and process through the PASS system. Their goal is for at least 20% of all HS AT’s participating in PASS so that they can then pull of data of each state and assess where each state is meeting the standard and what needs improvement.
They recommend that an AT take approx 1 month to go through each standard and at the end of the year (12 standards) each secondary school will have a comprehensive collection of their policies, procedures, EAP’s and other administrative information.
How can an AT use PASS to move towards appropriate medical care?
The standards provided in PASS will ensure the AT is practicing at the highest level of care. Each standard includes evidence and case law for compliance.
The standards are also a great tool to present to stakeholders within your school to encourage change. For example, there is a standard of clean and safe facilities. If you as an AT are struggling to get your AT room and equipment cleaned properly, this standard can be taken to a stakeholder in the district and will help them understand the need for and importance of clean facilities.
The PASS system is also a great way to transition between AT’s in your school. All EAP’s, policies, etc are stored on the PASS sight for the next AT at that high school.
We are already a NATA Safe School. Should I still do PASS?
Bart and Larry encourage even Safe School Award winners to process through PASS. “If they have already been awarded the Safe School Award, they have probably already completed 70-80% of PASS.
Bart’s dream is to have Safe Schools and PASS connect so that AT’s are not only participating in PASS but also apply for the Safe Schools Award.
What is the end product of PASS?
Elevated care within the secondary setting and moving from a model where a non-medical professional evaluates the AT to a medical model where the health care team works together to not only evaluate the AT but also to evaluate all the policies and procedures with the high school.
Jake Ritter is an AT in Alaska, you know the frozen state. Besides dressing in layers there are some really useful tips for cold weather gear. Snow is wet so you have to plan for the cold and wet anytime your out there.
Bart Peterson is and AT in Arizona, you know the Mojave Dessert state. Dealing with the sweltering heat, staying hydrated and avoiding sunburn can get a bit draining.
Here we discuss some of the favorite gear from seasoned ATs in extreme weather areas.
I have compiled a list of discounts for ATs so you can hopefully score some great deals as you prepare for your next AT season.
Got a favorite? Let me know and we can add it to the list.
Bart Peterson has been around a while in the secondary setting. He has learned a lot and is really green and growing. As an active advocate for Athletic Trainers Bart is part of the Secondary School Athletic Training Committee and District 7 NATA Foundation Chair.
We are broadcasting live from the 2017 NATA expo in Houston Texas.
We used Facebook live to stream as many of the NATA 2017 Expo Interviews as possible.
