Athletic Trainer
Special Interest
Provider-Patient Relationships, Education, Sports Medicine
Education
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Board Certification
Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer,
National Board for Certification of Orthopedic Technologist
Cierra Blanding is currently a full-time, licensed, Certified Athletic Trainer and a Certified Orthopaedic Technologist at the National Sports Medicine Institute. She is an integral member of the medical team in the office. Cierra evaluates, triages and treats medical and musculoskeletal pathology in coordination with her supervising nurse practitioner. Despite being a Certified Orthopaedic Technologist, Cierra prefers the clinical setting as she is able to have a more hands-on approach and enjoy meaningful conversations with patients that allows the patient to feel heard and builds the provider-patient relationship. Aside from clinical duties, Cierra teams up with our Nurse Practitioner Dr. Shannon Nicholson to educate the many nursing students that use NSMI as a clinical rotation.
Cierra is from Williamsburg, VA but considers herself a Northern Virginia resident as she has been in the area since 2009 when she began attending George Mason University. She graduated from GMU in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training and immediately joined the work force in the secondary school and clinical setting. She truly values the interpersonal interactions she has with patients. These interactions are key to establishing trust and building rapport, which in turn helps strengthen our standing in the community.
Outside of work, Cierra enjoys working out, attending car shows, listening to music, cooking and spending time with her husband and son.