Practice Analysis

The purpose of the BOC certification program is to establish that individuals have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform tasks critical for the safe and competent practice as an entry-level Athletic Trainer through the exam and continuing competence requirements. The BOC Practice Analysis identifies essential knowledge and skills for the athletic training profession and serves as a blueprint for exam development and continuing competence programming.

Get Your Copy
By purchasing a document from the BOC Store, you indicate your understanding of the product being purchased. The PA is an electronic file that will be available for download immediately upon completion of online payment. Purchasers must download and save the file using the link provided on the order completion page, as the document will not be sent via email or mail.

Practice Analysis, 8th Edition (PA8)

Full Version: $18.95 (non-refundable)

Purchase PA8

BOC Exam: PA8 is effective for BOC exams beginning March/April 2023.

Certification Maintenance: PA8 is effective for continuing education beginning January 1, 2024.

Free PA8 Documents:
The accompanying PA8 documents are available for download at no cost:

Download Content Outline for PA8

Download Comparison of PA8 to PA7

Download How to Use PA8

Download Crosswalk Comparing PA8 and CAATE 2020 Standards

State Regulation

Currently, 49 states and the District of Columbia regulate the practice of athletic training. Individuals must be legally recognized by the appropriate state regulatory agency prior to practicing athletic training. The BOC exam is recognized by all Athletic Trainer state regulatory agencies to meet their exam requirement. Compliance with state regulatory requirements is mandatory and the only avenue to legal athletic training practice.

Go to Interactive State Regulation Map

Certification Verification

Official Verification

Official verification of current athletic training certification status can be ordered for state licensure or employment purposes. Requests are processed within two business days of receipt.

There is a $30 processing fee.

Please note that verification is sent directly to the state regulatory agency or the employer.

Order Certification Verification

Basic Online Verification

Anyone may request verification of an AT’s certification. If official verification is not needed, search the online registry.

Search Online Registry

Status Definitions

The following status definitions are effective as of January 1, 2012 per the BOC Professional Practice and Discipline Guidelines and Procedures.

Certified

Certification is in good standing. Individuals may practice as authorized by the BOC.

Expired

Certification is voluntarily resigned for reasons unrelated to disciplinary proceedings. ATs with an Expired status may not represent themselves as Certified Athletic Trainers or use the ATC® certification mark.

Certification is forfeited due to non-compliance with BOC certification fee and/or continuing education requirements. Respondents with an Expired status may not represent themselves as Certified Athletic Trainers or use the ATC® certification mark.

Suspended

Certification is not in good standing as a result of the imposition of a disciplinary action of the BOC chief executive officer’s decision that there is cause to believe that a threat of immediate and irreparable injury to the health of the public exists. Respondents with a Suspended status may not represent themselves as a Certified Athletic Trainer or use the ATC® mark.

The Disciplinary Action Exchange (DAE) was developed to help the BOC, states and consumers locate disciplinary actions in an efficient manner.

Launch DAE

Resign Certification

BOC Certified Athletic Trainers (ATs) may resign certification by completing “AT299 – Retirement/Resignation Request” in their BOC profile. Resignation means the AT has retired or discontinued practice as an AT. The individual’s status will be listed as “Expired.” The appropriate state agencies and NATA will be notified when an AT resigns.

Please review the information below to see if resigning certification is the right choice for you.

1. A BOC Certified AT who wishes to resign certification and have their status changed from Certified to Expired must notify the BOC by completing “AT299 – Retirement/Resignation Request” in their BOC profile.
2. The status of Certified is defined “as certification in good standing; individuals may practice as authorized by the BOC
3. “The status of Expired is defined “as certification voluntarily resigned for reasons unrelated to disciplinary proceedings”
4. The state Athletic Trainer regulatory agency where you reside will be notified of the change in your certification status
5. The NATA will be notified of the change in your certification status
6. If you currently serve as a supervisor to students in an athletic training education program, please check with the program director to determine your supervisor/preceptor eligibility per CAATE requirements
7. You will agree to discontinue:
   Presenting yourself to the public as a practicing BOC Certified Athletic Trainer
   Using the initials “ATC” after your name*
   Serving as an exam item writer for the BOC certification exam
   *The designation “AT Ret.” may be used to indicate that an individual was once a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer.

Submit Retirement/Resignation Request

Reinstate Certification

Option 1: Group A – If Expired for less than two CE reporting periods

• Complete application and pay non-refundable application fee of $175
• Provide documentation for the required number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
• Provide proof of current certification in emergency cardiac care (ECC)

To begin the reinstatement process, log in and select your reinstatement path from your to do list and complete AT203: Reinstatement by CEU Application.

Option 2: Group A – If Expired for less than two CE reporting periods

• Complete application and pay non-refundable application fee of $100
• Successfully pass the BOC exam: $375
• Provide proof of current certification in emergency cardiac care (ECC)

Please Note: Once you have selected Option 2 and have taken the BOC exam, Option 1 is no longer an option for reinstatement. If you select Option 2, you must pass the BOC exam to be reinstated.

To begin the reinstatement process, log in and select your reinstatement path from your to do list and complete AT303: Reinstatement by Exam Application.

Group B – If Expired for two or more CE reporting periods

• Complete application and pay non-refundable application fee of $100
• Successfully pass the BOC exam: $375
• Provide proof of current certification in emergency cardiac care (ECC)

To begin the reinstatement process, log in and complete AT303: Reinstatement by Exam Application.

Note: Once your certification has been reinstated, you will also need to meet the current Certification Maintenance Requirements.

To verify your requirements and due date(s) log into your BOC profile.

Continuing Competence

According to NCCA, continuing competence is defined as  “demonstrating specified levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities throughout an individual’s professional career. Related to recertification, maintaining competence, and continuing education.” In line with this definition, the BOC CE requirements are intended to promote continued competence, development of current knowledge and skills and enhancement of professional skills and judgment not only at the time of certification but throughout their career. The BOC supports the ongoing professional development and maintenance of BOC certification by:

• Requiring reasonable and appropriate continuing education activities.
• Encouraging the ongoing professional development of ATs.
• Providing a standardized, objective and straightforward process for attaining and recording CE programs.

As a part of continuing competence, the BOC requires ATs to complete a predetermined number of continuing education units (CEUs) within a given time period. CE programs must be intended for credentialed health care providers and wellness professionals.

As information continually changes, it is important for professionals to learn the latest about athletic training. CE requirements are meant to ensure that ATs continue to:

• Stay on the cutting edge in the field of athletic training.
• Obtain current professional development information.
• Explore new knowledge in specific content areas.
• Master new athletic training-related skills and techniques.
• Expand approaches to effective athletic training.
• Further develop professional judgment.
• Conduct professional practice in an ethical and appropriate manner.

Continuing Education – CE Opportunities

Access Educational Opportunities

Competence Assessment Modules (CAMs)

Increase clinical expertise through professional article review and assessment.

Topic: Cultural Literacy

Competence Assessment Modules (CAMs) provide meaningful learning in evolving areas of athletic training practice. Participating in the CAMs offers the ideal way for Athletic Trainers to identify areas of need for self-actualized learning. CAMs are also expected to increase the current foundation of knowledge, enhance clinical practice and improve patient care.
Cost: 3.5 Category A CEUs for $35

Topic: Mental Health

Competence Assessment Modules (CAMs) provide meaningful learning in evolving areas of athletic training practice. Participating in the CAMs offers the ideal way for Athletic Trainers to identify areas of need for self-actualized learning. CAMs are also expected to increase the current foundation of knowledge, enhance clinical practice and improve patient care.

• The CAMs – Mental Health includes three modules:
  Identify Emergency Versus Non-Emergency Mental Health Issues
• Emergency Action Plan
• Psychological Adjustment to Injury (Essential Psychosocial Skills for the AT)

Cost: 7.5 Category A CEUs for $50

Quality Improvement (QI)

Complete a QI project to enhance your patient-centered care and outcomes. QI provides the framework to continuously and systematically evaluate Athletic Trainer’s healthcare delivery to improve their practice and quality of service for patients. These four-week projects provide a hands-on opportunity to apply a solution within your practice setting to a targeted quality problem. These projects involve short pre and post assessment items to help measure improvement. QIs address real problems in the workplace where the participant attempts to create real solutions that ultimately improves practice and patient outcomes.

Topic: Facility Principles

This quality improvement project focuses on facility principles, an important part of administration of any athletic training facility. Local, state and federal entities issue regulations and standards – which often overlap – to ensure the quality of facilities where health care services are delivered. You may not be aware of all regulations and best practices, which could open you up to increased exposure to liability. In this project, you will assess using the “BOC Facility Principles” to assemble baseline data of adherence to requirements. This evaluation will be followed by implementation of actions to address gaps in facility requirements. Finally, you will reflect and analyze the impact of your intervention.

Overview of FP Project

Project Time: 4 weeks, upon completion of this QI project 10 Category A CEUs will be issued.

Instructions:

1. Track time spent preparing, implementing and reflecting on the project as you will be asked to report this time at the end
2. Complete the worksheet below by following each week’s instructions and entering information as requested
3. Identify and assemble personnel involved in your project
4. Collect baseline data on an athletic training facility’s compliance with applicable regulations and best practices
5. Define a goal, implement an improvement action
6. Measure changes post-improvement action and reflect and summarize the impact of the intervention

Cost: 10 Category A CEUs for $30

Topic: Hand Hygiene

This quality improvement project focuses on hand hygiene, an important practice to reduce the spread of infection. Proper hand hygiene by health care providers will lead to decreased infections in patients. This four-week project includes implementation of a one question patient survey to gather baseline data. This step will be followed by implementation of an improvement process to increase the level of hand hygiene compliance in your setting. At the conclusion of the project, a final survey will measure change in improvement.

Overview of HH Project

Project Time: 4 weeks, upon completion of this QI project 10 Category A CEUs will be issued.

Instructions:

• Track time spent preparing, implementing and reflecting on the project as you will be asked to report this time at the end
• Complete the worksheet below by following each week’s instructions and entering information as requested
• Identify and assemble personnel involved in your project
• Collect baseline data on an athletic training facility’s compliance with applicable regulations and best practices
• Define a goal, implement an intervention/improvement strategy
• Measure changes post-intervention and reflect and summarize the impact of the intervention

Cost: 10 Category A CEUs for $30

Access Educational Opportunities

Maintain Certification-Emergency Cardiac Care

According to the mission of the American Heart Association, Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) programs are intended to reduce disability and death from acute circulatory and respiratory emergencies, including stroke, by improving the chain of survival in every community and in every health care system.

Athletic Trainers (ATs) must be able to demonstrate ongoing certification in ECC throughout the reporting period. Although continuing education units (CEUs) are not awarded for ECC certification, ATs need to be current with the ECC requirements throughout the reporting period. Full details of this category are located in the “Certification Maintenance Requirements.”

Requirements:

• Documentation must be kept for two years after the reporting period has ended
• The only acceptable documents are original certification cards, original certificates of completion or photocopies (front and back) of certification cards or certificates of completion
• Online ECC courses are acceptable if skills are demonstrated and tested by a certified ECC instructor, a voice assisted manikin (VAM) or a visual assisted manikin. The in-person exam can include video technology.
• The instructor and card holder must sign cards or certificates of completion if a QR code is not provided
• Letters provided by instructors are not acceptable

ECC Must Include:

• Adult CPR
• Pediatric CPR
• Second rescuer CPR
• AED
• Airway obstruction
• Barrier devices (e.g., pocket mask, bag valve mask)
• Demonstrated skills

*Online ECC courses are acceptable if skills are demonstrated and tested by a certified ECC instructor, a voice assisted manikin (VAM) or a visual assisted manikin. The in-person exam can include video technology.

Online ECC Courses

Online ECC courses are acceptable if skills are demonstrated and tested by a certified ECC instructor, a voice assisted manikin (VAM) or a visual assisted manikin.

The in-person test can include video technology. Examples of acceptable blended programs include:

AHA HeartCode® – students must attend a structured hands-on session with an AHA Instructor
ProTrainings LLC’s ProCPR – students must select the blended/hands-on option that requires a live instructor-led video conference

ACLS Certification Institute’s Advanced Cardiac Life Support is an example of an online ECC course that does NOT meet this requirement because it does not require skills to be demonstrated and tested.

ECC Providers

Acceptable ECC providers are those adhering to the most current “International Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care.” Please check with your ECC provider to confirm that the course includes all components.

Below is listed the current providers and courses offered.

American Heart Association: Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program (RQI), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider, Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider, Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor

American Red Cross: CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer (CPRP), Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers, Advanced Life Support (ALS)

American Safety and Health Institute: Basic Life Support (BLS)

Emergency Care and Safety Institute: Health Care Provider CPR

National Safety Council: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care and Professional Rescuers

Canadian Red Cross: First Responder CPR/AED HCP Level
Basic Life Support

Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC): Cardiac First Responder – Community Level, Cardiac First Responder – Advanced Level

Pro Training (with skills test): Healthcare Provider CPR/AED, Healthcare Provider (BLS) Adult, Child and Infant CPR/AED

American Health Care Academy (with skills test): Healthcare Provider CPR/BLS + Hands On Skills Evaluation

American CPR Care Association (with skills test): Healthcare Provider CPR/AED (BLS) + Hands On Skills Evaluation

Japan Athletic Trainers’ Organization: MFA CPR/AED

Heart & Stroke: Basic Life Support Provider

Japan Red Cross: Basic Life Supporter

Australia Wide First Aid: Basic Emergency Life Support and First Aid

Spain SEMICYUC: Basic Life Support and Automatic External Defibrillation

ECC Instructor Cards

The BOC accepts the American Heart Association BLS Healthcare Provider Instructor or American Heart Association BLS Instructor card. All other instructor cards are unacceptable unless the provider can confirm, in writing, that their instructors are required to maintain and successfully demonstrate provider skills to renew their instructor status.

Maintain Certification-Certification Maintenance Fee

Every Athletic Trainer (AT) is required to pay an annual BOC certification maintenance fee. The annual certification maintenance fee supports the administrative, disciplinary, regulatory and professional development activities required of the BOC to retain NCCA accreditation and assure protection of the public. NCCA accreditation highlights the essential elements of a high-quality program and is necessary for continued recognition of ATs by employers and state regulators that identify the BOC exam and CE requirements in their state statutes, rules and regulations.

Requirements:

• The BOC will waive the certification maintenance fee for ATs who are certified in the same year the fee is assessed
• The fee is non-refundable
• To receive the NATA membership discount on your BOC certification maintenance fee, your NATA membership must be current and your member number must be entered in your BOC profile at the time of payment to receive the discounted fee.
• ATs who are not NATA members, will receive notice at the beginning each year to pay the $65 certification maintenance fee by the end of that year.

FEE DEADLINES

NATA MEMBER

Fee: $50

NON-NATA MEMBER

Fee: $65

Maintain Certification-Standards of Professional Practice

Athletic Trainers are required to comply with the “BOC Standards of Professional Practice,” which consists of Practice Standards and the Code of Professional Responsibility.

Download BOC Standards of Professional Practice-Effective January 2022

Download BOC Standards of Professional Practice-Effective January 2024

Apply Standards

Liability Insurance – Code 6.3 of the Code of Professional Responsibility in the “BOC Standards of Professional Practice” states that an Athletic Trainer (AT): ‘Maintains adequate and customary professional liability insurance.”

ATs have the option of seeking liability insurance coverage through your own insurance provider. Otherwise, if you are a member of NATA, you can take advantage of their sponsored insurance plans. Learn more about NATA liability insurance coverage and managing your liability as a health care provider with the below resources.

Access NATA Liability Toolkit

Access NATA Professional Liability Insurance

Access NATA Preferred Providers