Resource Center

Wellness in youth sets the stage for health later in life. Chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes and sports injuries such as concussion require an interprofessional approach. In schools where nurses and athletic trainers are both present, many times they act independently. Despite having a common primary care mission and complementary training, they use separate facilities, supplies and medical records. New school-based initiatives exist, but have not included athletic trainers. An Interprofessional School Based Health Care (IP-SBHW) plan is proposed where nurses and athletic trainers coordinate health care at a school using complementary roles, a common physical facility and a common medical record. Access and quality of health care could be improved by providing comprehensive on-site primary care and decreasing medical errors through improved communication. Costs could be decreased by providing more appropriate treatment, triage and referral. School nurses and athletic trainers can work interprofessionally to provide primary care at a school through the IP-SBHW plan. This may improve health outcomes by more efficiently meeting the needs of the school community.