That’s a tough one. It’s a personal boundary that you have to set. Once you leave work, you have to leave work. It’s important to balance the needs of others with the necessities of yourself.
Amber, great question! Talk about layers...ooooh, this one has lots of layers. 🙂 My first thought is stay true to yourself. Share what you feel comfortable with sharing, keep other things close to your heart. You will naturally share more with some and less with others...totally normal. As a far as keeping student's boundaries bounded, be firm, but kind. They will share a lot more with you, than you will with them most likely, again normal. You will have to decide what you are comfortable knowing and carrying with you. I have held and continue to hold many secrets of my patients from all the years of being an AT. I spent most of my clinical career at the collegiate level and I found the most valuable boundary that I could provide with my student athletes was consistency. They knew I loved them right where they stood, through the muck and chaos, the good and the bad, the happy tears and the sad, ugly tears. They knew (or at least I worked every day for them to know) that I was there for them in my job capacity - counselor, friend, confidant - but, always and foremost their athletic trainer. There's a saying - People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Dr. Racheal Lawler at Lee University
Thanks for posting on the 1st ever Vlog for TATS ethics committee. The question you posed it a tough one. I am personally very empathetic and want to help as many people as I can but boundaries are super important. Sometimes listening is all your athletes want and offering advice that THEY can do to remedy the problem. IF THEY don't want to have an active participation in solving the issue then you have to learn that you can't fix it for them, that's enabling. Be honest with them that you are not trained in certain things but you can help them find the right help for the issue at hand. Healthcare is a giving profession but sometimes it can suck the life out of you. Take time to replenish yourself before you get burned out. My faith helps me when I feel overwhelmed because I feel that my job has a higher purpose than just a healthcare provider.
