ABSTRACT
E mployment settings for an athletic trainer include high schools, colleges and universities, professional sports teams, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, physician offices, corporate and industrial settings, the military, and
the performing arts (see Exhibit 7.1). Regardless of the employment setting, the practice of athletic training by an AT is informed and guided by the practice domains identified by the RDS and by state practice acts and regulations. ATs work under the direction of physicians, as prescribed by state licensure statutes. The 6th edition of the RDS identifies the following five practice domains (BOC, 2010):
1. Injury/illness prevention and wellness protection
2. Clinical evaluation and diagnosis
3. Immediate and emergency care
4. Treatment and rehabilitation
5. Organizational and professional health and well-being
The relative amount of time spent in each practice domain will vary according to the employment setting. For example, a typical day for an athletic trainer employed in a traditional high school or collegiate setting will likely include activities within each practice domain, whereas an AT employed as a physician extender may spend a majority of the day providing services associated with evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation.
