An athletic trainer is a health-care provider. Working primarily in the sports setting, the athletic trainer's role is to treat and prevent injury to the athletes under his care. Given the importance of the profession, it is essential that athletic trainers adhere to a high ethical standard. The National Athletic Trainers Association maintains a strict code of ethics with which its members must comply.
Discrimination
As an athletic trainer, you are expected to provide the highest level of service to each individual under your care. You may not discriminate against or show preferential treatment to any individual for any reason.
Confidentiality
Any personal information regarding your patients in considered private and should be kept confidential. You may not release information about your client's care to a third party unless you are required to by law.
Gambling
Gambling, on both professional and college sports, is a big business with enormous sums of money at stake. Athletic trainers are privy to inside information that can have an effect on game outcome and betting odds. You are strictly prohibited from using this information for financial gain, or from using your influence on player's welfare to affect game outcomes.
Drugs
Evidence, such as the Mitchell Report, suggests that performance enhancing drug use is now commonplace in elite level athletics. As a health-care provider, performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids or amphetamine, conflict with your ability to provide the highest level of care. You may not recommend or condone performance enhancers to anyone under your care. If you learn of an athlete using these drugs, you must report it immediately.
Continuing Education
The fields of sport and medicine are constantly changing, with new methods and treatments always in development. To continue to provide the highest level of care to your patients, you must actively pursue continuing education. Common means of continuing education are attending seminars, pursuing additional certifications or degrees and subscribing to trade publications.
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