Nursing and football have never been a pair that come to mind immediately, yet there are a few nurses who work with National Football League (NFL) teams. As a nurse I never thought that the field of sports medicine was something that I could add to my skill set, but the truth is, it has become quite common for soccer, football and even baseball teams to employ nurses on their medical staff.
There are two types of nurse positions that are available with football teams: on-field and off-field nurses. On-field nurses accompany the teams at home and away games and spend the majority of the game on the sidelines providing medical assistance as needed. Off-field nurses, on the other hand, work primarily in the teams’ medical facilities providing support and care for players, both on and off the field.
It takes a special kind of nursing to work in the field of sports medicine. Nurses working with NFL teams must be knowledgeable about the physical and cognitive needs of athletes, as well as the potential risks associated with their respective sports. Injuries are inevitable as players take to the field, and the medical staff is there to provide care and prevent further recurrences.
Nurses who are interested in working with a professional sports team must have the proper credentials and experience. They should also be physically fit and active, and have a passion and a strong understanding of sports and the health needs of athletes. Most of the time, these nurses will need to attend special training related to sports medicine in order to work with teams.
For those nurses who are passionate and knowledgeable about sports medicine, working with an NFL team can be extremely rewarding. It’s an amazing opportunity to provide medical care to athletes at the peak of their physical form in a professional setting. Not only that, you get to be part of the team, in a sense, on the sidelines, celebrating with them in the wins and mourning their losses.
In addition to the more traditional duties of an NFL team nurse, such as providing emergency care and monitoring the health of players, nurses must also be willing to act as advocates. They must be able to identify and discuss any issues that could potentially impact a player’s performance, health or safety. A team nurse must also be able to communicate with and help players manage the pressures and stress that come along with their sport.
Working with an NFL team brings its own unique set of challenges and rewards. In order to be successful, a nurse must be passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to providing the best care possible for the athletes. With the right combination of skills and experience, nurses can find themselves on the sidelines of the biggest games of the year, providing care for some of the best athletes in the world.