Treating Sports Injuries As a Nurse

As a nurse, you deal with plenty of medical situations on a regular basis. Each patient is different when it comes to what they may be experiencing, whether it is an illness or an injury. Nurses regularly come in contact with patients who have been injured after participating in sports or exercise.

However, sports injuries also apply to those who maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. If they exercise on a regular basis, the risk of sports injuries still exists. As a nurse, you must do your part in treating these types of injuries properly.

This guide will discuss common sports injuries that occur on a regular basis. You will learn about the different treatments that nurses perform. Correctly identifying a sports injury is the first step before the proper treatment can be administered.

Nurses are highly educated and trained to handle various medical situations. Regardless of which path you take, nurses who graduate from either Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) programs will have the educational qualifications to treat sports injuries. As licensed medical professionals, they can work in a variety of fields, including sports medicine, which typically specializes in the treatment and management of sports injuries, ranging from concussions to muscle tears. Prospective nursing students may be considering their options when it comes to choosing the right ABSN or BSN program.

You may be asking yourself this important question: What is the difference between a BSN and an ABSN? One of the major differences is the timing. BSN programs will typically take four years to complete, which is the same time frame it takes to complete any other degree program.

Meanwhile, ABSN programs are designed for students who already have a degree in a field other than nursing. This allows ABSN programs to be completed on an accelerated basis, as students have already completed some of the basics.

On average, ABSN programs such as Marymount University’s program can take 16 months to complete. You should also be mindful of other factors such as the prerequisites and requirements of the program itself. The prerequisite courses will include but are not limited to chemistry, microbiology and anatomy and will depend on the institution you study at.

Regardless of which program you graduate from, both BSN and ABSN graduates will be ready and able to join the medical field as a nurse. Graduates will be prepared to assist patients and medical staff in their capacity to the best of their knowledge and abilities.

Working in the field of sports medicine as a nurse can be fulfilling and can provide you with a wide variety of challenges.

Below, we cover the three common types of sports injuries that you are likely to encounter. As a nurse, you need to be able to properly identify the symptoms related to the specific injury. Once confirmed, you can then take action to treat the injury with an appropriate approach.

After initial treatment, it is important to monitor the patient to ensure that they are recovering as expected. Whether someone is training for the biggest sports event of their life or trying to stay fit, sports injuries can derail things. When a patient experiences an injury, they want to get back to training after proper treatment, rest and recovery.

Here is a look at the types of sports injuries and in-depth details on the related symptoms and how to treat the injury itself:

Recently, the topic of concussions has dominated the conversation in sports at all levels. One of the major reasons is the condition of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This condition occurs due to repeated incidents that result in head injuries, including concussions.

Unfortunately, CTE can only be diagnosed after the patient’s death. For this reason, one major way to prevent more occurrences of the condition is by taking the necessary precautions to protect athletes and competitors from concussions, especially in sports where repeated instances happen on a regular basis.

While taking preventative measures is necessary, concussions can still happen. In the event of one, a nurse will need to be able to treat it properly, but how do concussions occur to begin with?

A concussion can happen when a blow to the head is delivered due to physical contact. They can also be caused by falls as someone may hit their head on a hard surface during the fall itself.

The symptoms of concussions may be less noticeable and won’t exist immediately. When they do emerge, symptoms may remain for days or weeks. Sometimes, they may last longer than normal.

The common symptoms include but are not limited to headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Other symptoms include dizziness, not being able to remember the event (amnesia) and confusion.

You may also notice other symptoms, including delayed responses, slurred speech or even memory lapses. Other signs, such as sensitivity to noise and light, psychological issues, personality changes and issues with concentration and memory, have been connected to concussions.

When assessing and managing concussions, nurses must follow the necessary protocols and procedures. First, it is recommended to assess the level of consciousness of the patient and make sure this is done frequently. While it doesn’t always happen, a loss of consciousness may occur after a concussion.

Nurses should also perform a series of concussion tests. This will evaluate the brain functions of the patient. Nurses should look for any issues regarding memory, alertness, ability to recall information, reflexes, balance, vision, hearing, coordination, attention and concentration.

For example, a standardized assessment of concussion (SAC) test will include a series of questions including the month, year and day of the week, asking them to memorize a small list of words and numbers and repeating them back, and reciting the months of the year in reverse order. Typically, an SAC test will last no more than five minutes.

A balance error scoring system (BESS) test can also be performed. This test is based on six different stances that will determine whether balance has been affected due to the concussion. Further tests may also be administered at the discretion of a medical professional.

As standard operating procedure, a patient must not resume activity after suffering a concussion. It should also be noted that the patient should be monitored for any possible symptoms of post-concussion syndrome.

In sports, fractures and broken bones can occur due to traumatic events, which most frequently involve contact situations. One of the most common fractures that occur in sports injuries are stress fractures.

These are due to repetitive motions and overuse, which tend to be common in all kinds of sports. There are two classifications of fractures: compound and simple. A compound fracture can be confirmed if the bone goes through soft tissue or skin during the incident while a simple fracture is determined by creating little or no damage to the surrounding soft tissues.

Other types of fractures also exist. While a fracture may not be instantly diagnosed right away, it should be treated promptly. The best treatment for fractures that nurses can advise includes the R.I.C.E. protocol.

The protocol involves:

• Rest: At this stage, patients need to avoid moving the affected area as it can cause severe pain and worsen the fracture.
• Ice and immobilize: In order to prevent any additional swelling while relieving pain, an ice pack should be placed on the affected area. The ice pack must be covered in order to prevent direct contact with skin. Once again, nurses must ensure that immobilization of the area is addressed properly. This can be done with the use of both soft and hard splints.
• Compress: Next, the splint will need to be properly secured. Bandages or cloth strips can be used. While securing the splint, it is important to ensure that it is not placed so tightly that it hinders the patient’s blood flow. Avoid placing the ties over the fracture. Instead, place them above or below it.
• Elevate: After securing the splint, the affected area should be elevated. This will help keep bleeding under control while helping to prevent further swelling.

Please note that compound fractures may lead to external bleeding due to the bone piercing through soft tissue or even the skin. If bleeding does occur, be sure to keep the bleeding under control by applying pressure to the wounded area using a sterile and clean bandage. An article of clothing can be used as an alternative in an emergency.

When treating and handling fractures, it is important to collect any pertinent information that may apply to the patient’s recovery. This includes information that can be used by medical doctors and orthopedic professionals.

This type of injury in a sports setting is common. Specifically, patients may present with injuries ranging from strains to tears. A diagnosis will determine the severity of the injury followed by proper treatment.

Like fractures, muscle injuries will be easily determined with further examination. In the meantime, nurses must treat such injuries as if the worst possible situation has occurred. Muscle injuries often occur due to sudden, fast motions or overuse.

These will occur during contact sports. Strains are the most common in terms of muscle injuries as the muscles in question are often stretched past their normal range.

This can also occur if you are overloading your muscles with more weight than they can handle, such as heavy lifting. This can cause the fibers in your muscles to tear. A physician will be able to determine the type of muscle injury based on grade, with one being mild to three being the most severe.

This will be determined based on the damage to the patient’s muscle fibers. It will also be determined by the range of motion and strength lost. The most common muscles that are strained during sports activities include the hamstring and quadriceps.

However, almost any muscle in your body can be affected by sporting activities. That is why preventative measures such as stretching are highly recommended for athletes and active people before exercise or sports activities begin. Even though it reduces the risk of muscle injuries, there is still a chance that it can occur.

Should muscle injuries happen, nurses should perform the R.I.C.E. method of treatment as outlined in the previous section. Rehabilitation and stretching should also be recommended as part of the recovery process. At least 48 to 72 hours of rest is recommended after the injury before the rehabilitation process begins.

During rehab, movement should be limited. The goal of the rehabilitation process is to ensure that flexibility and strength are gradually regained. The length of the physical therapy process will be determined by a medical professional and physical therapists.

Nurses should utilize standard procedures for sports injuries based on their nature. The R.I.C.E. the method is important because it is designed to reduce blood flow while preventing excessive swelling of the injured area from occurring. It will also help to keep the level of pain to a minimum.

Note that R.I.C.E is a first aid procedure. It should not be considered an ongoing method of treatment as it can delay the healing process.

Pain management is an important issue that must be addressed. Most of the time, over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) can be taken as directed by a physician.

Prescription medication for pain management may be possible. However, that will be up to the discretion of the physician based on the treatment plan provided for recovery. Non-pharmacological approaches may also apply depending on the severity of the injury.

For instance, massage or heat therapy may be recommended for those recovering from muscle injuries. Acupuncture may also be a good alternative approach as well. Nurses may not administer these pain management solutions as it is outside of their skillset and standards of practice. Patients should consult with a doctor prior to utilizing pain management solutions that are non-pharmacological.

While nurses are able to properly treat injuries, it is up to the physician to decide the best course of action in terms of post-injury treatment. Once a treatment plan is in place, the patient must follow it. A nurse can contact the patient as a follow-up for treatment procedures.

Nurses can also advise the patient if they have any questions or concerns regarding post-injury treatment. This includes instructing a patient to see a physician as soon as possible if certain issues or complications arise.

One of the major challenges of nursing in sports medicine can be the time constraints. Treating sports injuries must be done in an urgent manner in order to prevent worsening conditions or complications. A nurse can perform the necessary procedures to treat such injuries until the patient is examined by a doctor.

Nurses must also provide accurate information to physicians and other medical professionals to ensure injuries are treated effectively as treatment plans are designed for post-injury recovery and therapy. Consistent communication between nurses and relevant medical professionals is necessary to ensure the best care is provided.

The determination of the sports injury can also be a challenge due to the specific procedures that will be used once an injury is properly diagnosed. For example, a concussion will have a different kind of diagnostic and testing procedure compared to broken bones and muscle injuries.

Sports medicine is a specialized medical field that can be challenging but exciting at the same time. For nurses, it can provide a deeper understanding of the injuries that can occur in athletes and active individuals. This approach to medicine provides treatment options that will help with the recovery process so patients can rest, recover and get back into the action as soon as possible.