Guidelines in Place in NJ Schools for The Identification and Management of Student-Athletes with Concussions
Yes, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has developed a local policy that addresses the identification and management of concussions among student-athletes in the state. The policy requires that the student-athlete be to be removed from the competition in case there is suspicion of the occurrence of a concussion. The student-athlete is then required to complete an Interscholastic Head Injury Training Program, with the coaches, a licensed athlete trainer, the team physician, or nurses.
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This policy ensures that any student-athlete who sustains a concussion does not continues playing, increasing the cases of a more serious injury. All New Jersey schools must have coaches, a licensed athlete trainer, the team physician, or nurses, who use tools like the Post-concussion symptom scales, Post-Concussion Assessment Cognitive and Standard Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT3). These tests can only be used by or applied in the presence of a licensed professional (Shendell et al., 2019).
The Role of Nurses in Sports Concussion Management in NJ Schools
Yes, the nurses have a role in managing concussions in New Jersey schools, as they play the leadership role in the identification, care, and referral of concussions. They also ensure coordination within the New Jersey sports teams, promoting concussion management within the sports teams. The athletes and coaches can also be trained on concussion management and can only act in the absence of or under the nurse’s supervision, who have more competent know-how of concussion management.
The number of concussions cat occur in sporting activities in the New Jersey State is tracked by the number of cases reported by at least one certified athlete trainer, a coach or a nurse with follow-up made on the student athlete’s progress. The HEADS-UP is an initiative thy the Center for Disease Control (CDC), whose main goal is to protect teenagers and kids from concussions by raising awareness on more effective ways of treating concussions (Shendell et al., 2019).
Management of Student-Athletes with Concussions References
Shendell, D. G., Gonzalez, L., Listwan, T. A., Pancella, J., Blackborow, M., & Boyd, J. (2019). Developing and piloting a school‐based online adolescent student‐athlete concussion surveillance system. Journal of school health, 89(7), 527-535.
