Athletic Trainer, Clinic - Hand

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research, and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. We seek staff committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality, and trust.

About the Role

The Athletic Trainer is responsible for optimizing the physician’s practice through teamwork and overseeing the patient load. The incumbent provides medical care—assessing, diagnosing, and rehabilitating all patients as directed by their attending physician—while working under the direction of the attending physician to ensure proper care and optimum outcomes in a cost-effective manner consistent with professional standards of practice.

The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center nationally ranked for academic research, quality standards, and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in comprehensive services, medical advancement, and patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Aligns with the goals, strategy, policies, and procedures of the department.
• Works within the scope of an athletic trainer according to NATA and NBCOT guidelines.
• Coordinates the patient load of assigned provider and/or team.
• Reviews patient records, obtains patient history, reviews radiographs, and performs initial physical exam.
• Documents condition, progress, and assessment in the patient's chart for review by the orthopaedic physician.
• Ensures all documentation is kept up to date and in a professional manner, according to clinic and hospital protocols.
• Educates patients/caregivers about their diagnosis, discharge, and recovery.
• Provides physical therapy treatments, prescribes exercise, and sets functional goals for the patient.
• Administers various therapeutic techniques including: electrotherapy, heat therapy, and cryotherapy.
• Applies, adjusts, and removes casts, splints, braces, as well as any skin, skeletal, and manual traction devices, and instructs patients in their use.
• Obtains medications from Omnicell/Med cabinet and prepares medication and patient for therapeutic and diagnostic injection.
• Assists in training and education of staff and leads and participates in clinical program development.
• Participates in a predetermined number of hours each year in outreach activities including athletic event coverage, health and fitness exhibitions, presentations, and lectures.
• May obtain preoperative consents and research informed consents.
• May assist physicians in research with an emphasis on a post-operative database and follow-up with post-operative patients, as needed.
• May support the clinical and didactic education of the University's CAATE-approved Athletic Training Education Program students and graduate staff and participate as an approved clinical instructor. Responsibilities may include instructional lectures as adjunct faculty within the College of Health.

Requirements

• Current RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential through the University of Utah Health RQI system (to be obtained within 30 days of hire).
• Current licensure to practice as an Athletic Trainer in the State of Utah.
• Additional license requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated potential ability to perform the essential functions as outlined above.
• Ability to provide care to the population served.
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment; excellent critical thinking skills, ability to work independently, and manage time effectively.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of life span growth and development and the ability to assess data regarding the patient's status and provide care as described in the department's policies and procedures manual.
• Demonstrated human relation and effective communication skills.
• Ability to be energetic, quality-driven, and a productive member of a cohesive team of peers dedicated to providing optimum patient care.
• Ability to maintain a professional attitude toward patients and an excellent and collegial working relationship with coworkers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as an athletic trainer in an outpatient orthopaedic clinic setting.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This position involves intensive work that may exert up to 100 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects, such as medical equipment or patients, while providing medical care. The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

• Carrying, climbing, color determination, crawling, far vision, lifting, listening, manual dexterity, near vision, pulling and/or pushing, reaching, sitting, speaking, standing, stooping and crouching, walking.