International Sports Nursing Special Interest Group

Given the ever-broadening horizon of nursing and the increasing acknowledgement of nurses’ skills, expertise, and knowledge, I would like to provide interested Journal readers with the opportunity to form an international special interest group in sports nursing.

Sports take all forms, and involvement in sports has inherent risks and benefits. As a retired contact sport participant, I have been exposed to these various risks and benefits and have found, over time, that varying levels of care are provided to injured participants. In my own profession I have found that the knowledge of management of sports injuries is sparse and fragmented and, unfortunately, often incorrect, resulting in inadequate rehabilitation.

Having completed postgraduate qualifications in sports medicine, I find that I am now being approached by other nurses who also have an active interest in caring for people who take part in sporting activities. These nurses have questions about the opportunities that are available to enable learning, how to facilitate information sharing, and how to develop the role of nurses involved in the sports medicine arena. As well, several internationally recognized sports physicians have commented that nurses have a very important part to play in sports medicine, and should they define that role, they could be formally recognized as a professional specialization.

It is hoped that if members who have an active interest in sports medicine join together from around the world, they can develop and foster growth in the sports nursing perspective, which in turn will naturally further expand the roles and perspective of the nurse that we currently see.

Any Journal readers who are interested in formulating an international sports nursing special interest group can contact me by e-mail.