Emergency cardiac care in athletic training education

In the field of athletic training, preventing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has become a vital component of undergraduate athletic training students’ education. Specifically, SCA is the “leading cause of death in young athletes due to a structural cardiac abnormality” (Casa et. al, 2012, p. 15). Numerous studies about sudden death in athletics have been conducted but there is a gap in educational literature. Teaching students how to respond to catastrophic injury or illness is still an area that needs to be expanded upon. Educational competencies and standards have rapidly evolved with each edition of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) educational competencies. A mixed-methods survey was sent out to all Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training (CAATE) accredited program directors in order to determine if NATA competencies regarding SCA are being addressed, the availability of equipment and various teaching methods in the classroom versus clinical setting, and if program directors are covering the psychosocial aspect of SCA in their curriculum. Results show that program directors are covering the required competencies and addressing the emotional aftermath of SCA; however, there is a gap between the availability of tools between the classroom and the clinic. Program directors also reported teaching techniques commonly used in other areas of medical education, such as the use of simulators and standardized patients. Future research should be conducted on the availability of equipment used to teach SCA in the classroom and clinical setting, along with other teaching strategies to address SCA in athletic training education. Keywords: sudden cardiac arrest, athletic training education, athletic training students, National Athletic Trainers’ Association educational competencies, catastrophic injury or illness, Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.