Performance Sports Nursing Specialty Training Program
FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITY
INNS is seeking industry feedback on the Performance Sports Nursing Specialty Training Program Curriculum as part of the curriculum development process. We are developing an international curriculum designed to prepare and support nurses working in the high-performance sport environment.
We welcome feedback from industry stakeholders to help ensure the curriculum reflects industry needs, and the evolving role of sports nurses across diverse sporting contexts.
For feedback regarding the curriculum content, please contact admin@sportsnursing.org.
Unit 1:
Introduction to Performance Sports Nursing
Curriculum Content:
1. Foundations of Sports Nursing
1.1. Definition and scope of sports nursing
1.2. Differences between sports nursing and traditional clinical nursing
1.3. Overview of roles in community, amateur, professional, and performance sport settings
1.4. Performance Sport Systems
1.5. Nursing practice domains within performance sport.
1.6. Competencies for Sports Nurses
1.7. Legal, Ethical & Professional Responsibilities
2. Understanding the Athlete Population
2.1. Physical, psychological, and developmental characteristics of athletes
2.2. The Athlete as a Unique Patient
2.2.1. Youth
2.2.2. Neurodiversity
2.2.3. Female
2.2.4. Pregnancy
2.2.4.1. Pre‑conception
2.2.4.2. Pregnancy in Athletes
2.2.4.3. Postpartum Athletes
2.2.5. High Performance
2.2.6. Para‑athletes
2.2.7. Recreational
2.2.8. Masters
2.3. Athlete workload, season structure, and competition cycles
3. Multidisciplinary Team in Sport
3.1. Structure of a high-performance support team
3.2. Working with physiotherapists, doctors, strength & conditioning staff.
3.3. Clinical boundaries and scope of practice
4. Ethics, Culture & Professional Conduct
4.1. Respecting athlete autonomy and informed decision making
4.2. Confidentiality in team environments
4.3. Navigating conflicts of interest
4.4. Cultural safety, diversity, and inclusive practice in sport
4.5. Maintaining Professional Relationships
4.6. Self-Care and Professional Integrity
5. Integrity within Sport
5.1. Anti-Doping Fundamentals
5.2. Competition Manipulation and Sport Gambling
5.3. Illicit Drugs in Sport
5.4. Safeguarding Children and Young People
Unit 2:
Primary Health Care within Performance Sports
Curriculum Content:
1. Health Assessment
1.1. Comprehensive Athlete Health Assessment
1.2. Focused Health Assessment
1.2.1. Ears, Nose, Throat
1.2.2. Respiratory
1.2.3. Abdominal/GI
1.2.4. Genitourinary
1.2.5. Cardiac
1.2.6. Neurological
1.2.7. Integumentary
1.2.8. Reproductive
2. Minor illness and injury management
2.1. Soft Tissue Injuries
2.1.1. Muscle strains
2.1.2. Tendon/Ligament sprains
2.1.3. Subluxations
2.1.4. Dislocations
2.1.5. Overuse injuries
2.1.6. Contusions
2.1.7. Muscle cramps or spasms
2.1.8. Abrasions
2.1.9. Lacerations
2.1.10. Blisters
2.1.11. Hematomas
2.2. Respiratory
2.2.1. Upper respiratory tract infections
2.2.2. Sinus congestion
2.2.3. Asthma/ Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
2.3. Gastrointestinal
2.3.1. Gastroenteritis
2.3.2. GI upset/cramping
2.3.3. Nausea
2.3.4. Dehydration
2.4. Dermatological
2.4.1. Chafing
2.4.2. Dermatitis
2.4.3. Fungal skin infections
2.4.4. Sunburn
2.4.5. Heat rash
2.5. Thermoregulation Issues
2.5.1. Heat cramps
2.5.2. Early heat exhaustion
2.5.3. Mild hypothermia
2.6. Other Common Minor Conditions
2.6.1. Headaches (non-traumatic)
2.6.2. Minor allergic reactions
2.6.3. Minor menstrual symptoms
2.6.4. Fatigue
3. Wound and pressure area management
3.1.1. Foundations of Wound Care
3.1.2. Common Sports Related Wounds
3.1.3. Wound Assessment
3.1.4. Wound Cleansing and Debridement
3.1.5. Dressing Selection and Application
3.1.6. Return to Play Considerations
3.1.7. Special Populations and Settings
3.1.8. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Unit 3:
Injury Prevention, Management and Recovery
Curriculum Content:
1. Foundations of Injury Prevention
1.1. Risk Identification & Athlete Screening
1.2. Biomechanics & Movement Fundamentals
1.3. Preventative Conditioning
1.4. Environmental and External Risk Factors
2. Acute Injury Assessment & Management
2.1. Pathophysiology of Sports Injuries
2.2. Initial musculoskeletal assessment & management
2.2.1. Upper Body
2.2.1.1. Neck
2.2.1.2. Shoulder & upper arm
2.2.1.3. Elbow
2.2.1.4. Lower arm, hand, wrist, fingers
2.2.1.5. Chest wall
2.2.1.6. Back
2.2.2. Lower Body
2.2.2.1. Pelvis/hip
2.2.2.2. Upper leg
2.2.2.3. Knee
2.2.2.4. Lower leg
2.2.2.5. Ankle, foot, toes
2.3. Treatment Modalities
2.4. Medications in Sports Nursing
2.4.1. Analgesics and anti‑inflammatories
2.4.2. Anti‑doping considerations
2.4.3. Medication storage, documentation, and travel kits
3. Collaboration & Referral Pathways
3.1. Working with physiotherapists, doctors, exercise physiologists
3.2. Return to play decision making
3.3. Documentation and communication protocols
4. Recovery Science
4.1. Physiological Recovery
4.1.1. Sleep and circadian rhythm
4.1.2. Hydration and electrolyte balance
4.1.3. Nutrition for recovery
4.1.4. Hormonal responses to training and injury
4.2. Recovery Modalities
4.2.1. Active recovery
4.2.2. Soft tissue techniques
4.2.3. Hydrotherapy
4.2.4. Compression garments
4.2.5. Stretching & mobility routines
4.3. Monitoring and Load Management
4.3.1. Use of GPS, heart rate monitors, RPE scales
4.3.2. Recognising signs of overtraining
4.3.3. Wellness
4.3.4. Data driven recovery planning
5. Psychosocial Aspects of Injury & Recovery
5.1. Psychological Impact of Injury
5.1.1. Athlete identity and emotional response
5.1.2. Anxiety, frustration, grief cycles
5.1.3. Supporting youth athletes
Unit 4:
Emergency Care
Curriculum Content:
1. Emergency Response
1.1. Principles of immediate assessment
1.2. Primary survey
1.3. Airway, breathing and circulation management
1.4. Resuscitation
1.5. Managing collapsed or unconscious athletes
1.6. Recognition of time critical conditions
2. Trauma & Musculoskeletal Emergencies
2.1. Spinal injury recognition and immobilisation
2.2. Open wounds and bleeding control
2.3. Rib trauma and chest injuries
3. Head & Neurological Emergencies
3.1. Concussion recognition and graded assessment
3.2. Seizure management in sports settings
3.3. Return to play considerations after head injury
4. Environmental Emergencies
4.1. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke management
4.2. Hypothermia and cold weather injuries
4.3. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance emergencies
5. Medical Emergencies
5.1. Sudden cardiac arrest in athletes
5.2. Exercise induced bronchospasm/asthma emergencies
5.3. Anaphylaxis
5.4. Diabetic emergencies
5.5. Collapses unrelated to trauma
6. Emergency Action Plans
6.1. Developing venue specific emergency plans
6.2. Pre event risk assessments
6.3. Crowd, venue, and evacuation considerations
7. Communication
7.1. Communication during critical incidents
7.2. Handover to paramedics/hospital staff
7.3. Incident reporting and legal considerations
7.4. Communicating with coaches, officials, and families
Unit 5:
Mental Health and Welfare
Curriculum Content:
1. Introduction to Mental Health in Sport
1.1. Definitions: mental health vs mental illness
1.2. Prevalence of mental health concerns in athletes
1.3. Unique stressors in sport
1.4. Stigma and barriers to help seeking in athletic populations
2. Role of the Sports Nurse in Mental Health & Welfare
2.1. Scope of practice and responsibilities
2.2. Recognising early warning signs
2.3. Communication skills for supportive engagement
2.4. Integrating mental health into holistic athlete care
2.5. Safeguarding and welfare responsibilities
3. Athlete Stress, Pressure & Psychological Load
3.1. Performance stress, expectations and anxiety
3.2. Burnout, overtraining syndrome and fatigue
3.3. Managing training load from a psychological perspective
3.4. Balancing sport, school/work and personal life
4. Common Mental Health & Conditions & Welfare Concerns in Athletes
4.1. Anxiety disorders
4.2. Depression and mood disorders
4.3. Eating disorders / disordered eating
4.4. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
4.5. Substance use concerns
4.6. Self-harm and suicide risk awareness
4.7. Sleep disorders and fatigue-related mental health issues
5. Injury Psychology
5.1. Emotional response to injury
5.2. Grief, anger, frustration and loss of identity
5.3. Fear of re-injury
5.4. Supporting motivation and adherence during rehabilitation
5.5. Communication with coaches, parents and allied health teams
6. Welfare and Safeguarding
6.1. Understanding athlete vulnerability
6.2. Child safety and youth specific welfare concerns
6.3. Bullying, harassment and abuse
6.4. Power imbalances in sport
6.5. Mandatory reporting requirements
6.6. Creating psychologically safe sport environments
7. Cultural, Social & Environmental Factors
7.1. Supporting athletes from diverse cultural backgrounds
7.2. LGBTQ+ inclusion and mental health
7.3. First Nations cultural safety principles
7.4. Impact of socioeconomic factors and access to support
7.5. Team culture and sense of belonging
8. Communication & Support Strategies
8.1. Trauma informed communication
8.2. Mental health first aid principles
8.3. Listening skills and de‑escalation
8.4. Building rapport and trust with athletes
8.5. Responding to disclosures safely and ethically
8.6. Referral Pathways & Multidisciplinary Support
9. Crisis Management
9.1. Recognising acute distress
9.2. Suicide risk identification
9.3. Immediate safety plans and escalation procedures
9.4. On‑site crisis roles of the sports nurse
9.5. Post‑incident follow up and athlete support
Unit 6:
Travel Health and Infection Control
Curriculum Content:
1. Introduction to Travel Health in Sport
1.1. Role of the sports nurse in athlete travel
1.2. Common travel related health risks for teams
1.3. Pre‑travel assessment and planning
1.4. Understanding destination specific risks
2. Pre‑Travel Medical Preparation
2.1. Medical screenings and clearance before travel
2.2. Travel documentation: medical letters, medication lists, vaccination records
2.3. Managing chronic conditions and injury care plans when travelling
2.4. Packing medical kits for domestic and international tours
2.5. Medications: storage, transport regulations, customs considerations
3. Environmental & Destination Specific Health Risks
3.1. Routine & travel specific vaccinations for athletes
3.2. Heat, humidity, altitude, air quality and pollution
3.3. Jet lag management and circadian rhythm strategies
3.4. Hydration safety: waterborne illnesses, safe water practices
3.5. Food safety & reducing gastrointestinal illness
3.6. Mosquito and insect borne risks
3.7. Respiratory illness
4. Infection Control Principles in Sport
4.1. Standard and transmission‑based precautions
4.2. Hand hygiene best practice
4.3. Use of PPE in sports settings
4.4. Cleaning and disinfecting equipment and treatment areas
4.5. Preventing disease spread in shared spaces
4.6. Isolating unwell athletes
4.7. Waste management
5. Managing Illness in Team Environments
5.1. Recognising early symptoms of infectious diseases
5.2. Isolation or modification of athlete involvement
5.3. Decision making for participation vs withdrawal
5.4. Coordination with local medical services while travelling
5.5. Communication protocols with coaches, staff, and parents
6. Travel Fatigue, Sleep & Wellness
6.1. Impact of travel on recovery and immune function
6.2. Sleep strategies before, during and after travel
6.3. Managing stress and athlete welfare on long trips
6.4. Preventing burnout during high‑frequency travel periods
7. Emergency Care While Travelling
7.1. Planning for medical emergencies overseas
7.2. Identifying local emergency facilities and standards of care
7.3. Medical insurance, travel insurance and evacuation plans
7.4. Incident documentation and reporting
Unit 7:
Principles of Sports Nursing for
Para Athletes: 1
Curriculum Content:
1. Foundations of Sports Nursing in Para Sport
1.1. Role and scope of the sports nurse in Para sport
1.2. Ethical and professional considerations
1.3. Interdisciplinary teamwork: physiotherapists, doctors, classifiers, coaches, prosthetists
1.4. Athlete centred and inclusion focused care
1.5. Safeguarding, consent, and autonomy in Para athletes
2. Overview of Para Sport
2.1. History and philosophy of Para sport
2.2. Structure of Para sport
2.3. Overview of major Para sports
2.4. Impact of sport on health, function, and quality of life for Para athletes
3. Para Sport Classification Systems
3.1. Purpose and principles of classification
3.2. Overview of impairment types used in Para sport:
3.2.1. Physical impairment
3.2.2. Vision impairment
3.2.3. Intellectual impairment
3.3. Sport specific vs impairment based classification
3.4. Role of health professionals in classification processes
3.5. Ethical issues and athlete advocacy in classification
4. Purpose and principles of classification
4.1. Overview of impairment types used in Para sport:
4.1.1. Spinal cord injury
4.1.2. Amputation / limb deficiency
4.1.3. Cerebral palsy
4.1.4. Acquired brain injury
4.1.5. Vision impairment
4.1.6. Neuromuscular and progressive conditions
4.2. Functional implications for mobility, strength, balance, coordination, and endurance
4.3. Secondary health conditions associated with impairments
5. Medical Considerations Unique to Para Athletes
5.1. Autonomic dysreflexia
5.2. Thermoregulation and heat illness risks
5.3. Respiratory considerations
5.4. Cardiovascular responses to exercise and orthostatic hypotension
5.5. Neurogenic bladder and bowel management in sport
5.6. Pressure injury risk and skin integrity
5.7. Chronic pain and spasticity management
6. Injury Patterns and Prevention in Para Sport
6.1. Common acute and overuse injuries in Para athletes
6.2. Upper limb overuse injuries
6.3. Falls and impact injuries
6.4. Equipment related injuries
6.5. Injury surveillance and prevention strategies
6.6. Safe training load management
7. Equipment, Technology, and Prosthetic Considerations
7.1. Wheelchairs (sport‑specific design, seating, and fit)
7.2. Prosthetics and orthotics in sport
7.3. Adaptive equipment and assistive devices
7.4. Nursing considerations for equipment fit, skin protection, and maintenance
7.5. Collaboration with prosthetists and biomechanical specialists
Unit 8:
Principles of Sports Nursing for
Para Athletes: 2
Curriculum Content:
1. Acute Care and Emergency Management in Para Sport
1.1. On field and sideline assessment of Para athletes
1.2. Modified emergency response and spinal precautions including wheelchair extraction
1.3. Management of collapse or medical emergencies
1.4. Transport and evacuation considerations
1.5. Emergency action planning inclusive of Para athletes
2. Medication Management and Anti‑Doping in Para Athletes
2.1. Higher medication uses and polypharmacy risks
2.2. Classification related medication implications
2.3. Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs)
2.4. Anti‑doping education specific to Para athletes
2.5. Safe medication administration in sport settings
3. Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations
3.1. Mental health risks and protective factors in Para athletes
3.2. Identity, adjustment, and transition issues
3.3. Impact of classification changes and injury on mental wellbeing
3.4. Communication strategies for athletes with sensory or cognitive impairments
3.5. Trauma‑informed care in Para sport environments
4. Nutrition, Hydration, and Body Composition
4.1. Nutrition considerations linked to impairment
4.2. Altered metabolism and energy expenditure
4.3. Hydration challenges (e.g. bladder management)
4.4. Body composition monitoring in Para athletes
4.5. Collaboration with sports dietitians
5. Travel, Camps, and Competition Care
5.1. Planning care for domestic and international competition
5.2. Accessibility and logistics
5.3. Travel fatigue and impairment: specific risks
5.4. Infection prevention and fatigue management
5.5. Cultural safety and inclusive practice during travel
6. Communication and Inclusive Practice
6.1. Person first and identity respecting language
6.2. Communicating with athletes with vision, hearing, or cognitive impairments
6.3. Supporting athlete self-advocacy
6.4. Working with carers, guides, and support staff
6.5. Cultural competence and disability awareness
7. Legal, Ethical, and Risk Management Considerations
7.1. Duty of care in Para sport
7.2. Privacy and disclosure of impairment‑related health information
7.3. Informed consent and capacity
7.4. Safeguarding and abuse prevention
7.5. Risk assessment and incident reporting