Clinical Education Purpose
It is the purpose of the Lee University Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) to be a functional educational and service facility for the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Secondary Education. The program will endeavor to enhance the health care for the university’s intercollegiate athletes as well as the broader habitually active community of the university. The program will service the college community by endeavoring to help its members attain higher levels of performance through proper health care and appropriate efforts to prevent injury and illness. Clinical Education is the bridge in which students affectively learn to utilize the various skill development taught in the classroom. This is a vital component to student learning.
The ATEP will establish and maintain a corps of athletic training students that will be trained in the knowledge and skills that are essential to an entry-level athletic trainer. The purpose of clinical education is multidimensional. The student will:
- Utilize clinical experiences for peer practice, skill acquisition, and skill development
- Interact with many differing health care professionals, each having separate philosophies & experiences that will provide students with innovative skills that will enhance student development
- Engage in peer teaching to enhance understanding and retention
- Gain confidence in self by practicing skills under direct supervision of allied health professionals ( e.g. Certified Athletic Trainers, Orthopaedic Surgeons, Physician Assistants, Physical Therapist & Nurses)
- Accumulate many hours in field settings where critical thinking and problem solving will occur on a daily basis
- Develop a mentorship with clinical instructors in order to foster a professional code of conduct that reflects Christian commitment
At the completion of the program, the athletic training student should be able to function as a health care professional with minimal supervision in an allied health care setting and be eligible to sit for the NATABOC certification examination.