If a person were to represent herself as an athletic trainer before passing her BOC certification examination, which national standard has been violated?

Representing oneself as an athletic trainer without having passed the Board of Certification (BOC) examination is a serious violation of professional standards. Both the BOC Standards of Professional Practice and the NATA Code of Ethics are designed to ensure the integrity and safety of the profession.

The BOC Standards of Professional Practice outline the expectations for practice, which include being credentialed as an athletic trainer before engaging in professional activities. Misrepresentation of credentialing not only damages individual integrity but also impacts public trust in the entire profession.

Additionally, the NATA Code of Ethics emphasizes the importance of honesty and integrity in professional practice. This code encourages athletic trainers to represent their qualifications accurately, highlighting that misrepresentation violates ethical principles fundamental to the profession.

Because both of these standards address the same underlying principle—that qualified professionals must hold the appropriate credentials to practice—it is correct to state that misrepresenting oneself constitutes a violation of both the BOC Standards of Professional Practice and the NATA Code of Ethics. This underscores the importance of adhering to credentialing and ethical guidelines to maintain professionalism in athletic training.