Athletic Training Students' Perceptions of the Immersive Clinical Experience and its Influence on their Development

Context Immersive clinical experiences are critical clinical education components in athletic training. Program directors have indicated potential isolation from peers and faculty, a financial burden, and less engagement in quality learning during immersive clinical experiences. Objective To explore athletic training students' perceptions of the immersive clinical experience as it pertains to their development. Design Qualitative study. Setting Individual virtual interviews. Patients or Other Participants A total of 15 athletic training students who participated in the immersive clinical experience in the last 9 months took part in our study (males = 4, females = 11; age = 25 ± 5 years, range = 21–36 years). Data Collection and Analysis We conducted interviews and recorded and transcribed them verbatim. We developed a codebook using the consensual qualitative research tradition to identify domains and categories. Trustworthiness was established using member-checking, multiple researchers, and an auditor. Results Athletic training student perceptions of the immersive clinical experience revealed 2 domains: exposure and improved preparation for clinical practice. From increased exposure, participants gained additional experience with administrative duties, communication and relationships, interprofessional and collaborative practice, an increased quantity and quality of patient encounters, and preceptor influence on learning opportunities. From improved preparation, participants experienced socialization in which they were more integrated in facility activities, gained a greater appreciation for the value of the profession, had greater autonomy and inclusion, and perceived more value in the immersive clinical experience than in nonimmersive experiences. Conclusions Athletic training students who participate in immersive clinical experiences feel that they have increased exposure to athletic training practice and improved preparation for transition to practice.

Factors Affecting Student Persistence into Athletic Training Programs

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to student persistence and gauge prospective athletic training students' perceptions of experiences that contributed to their persistence. Method: The Athletic Training Student Persistence-Revised Survey was developed to gather data about program attributes, social, academic, clinical integration, and program commitment. Institutional demographics, program demographics, and program attributes were collected during interviews. Surveys were administered online through SurveyMonkey. Survey data were returned anonymously by designated contact persons (Athletic Training Program Directors or Clinical Education Coordinators) for all freshmen prospective athletic training students enrolled in the athletic training introductory course/s. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric differences and correlations were calculated. The inductive process was used in coding open-ended data. Results: The Mann Whitney U test and Spearman Rho analysis demonstrated significant results. Program attributes along with clinical integration had the weakest correlations (r = -0.36 and r = -0.32, respectively), while academic integration and program commitment had the strongest (r = -0.58 and r = -0.76, respectively). No predictive variables were found. Qualitatively, persisters and non-persisters managed the pre-application period differently. Additionally, the rapport between athletes and athletic trainers serving as preceptors, the relationships between prospective athletic training students and extant athletic training students, and the mentorship displayed by athletic training students were all contributors to persistence. Conclusions: Communication between the athletic training program director and prospective athletic training students is vital, but the core of the study revealed that what transpires during clinical observation hours, within the introductory course/s, between athletic trainers and athletes, and between athletic training students/preceptors and prospective athletic training students are of even greater importance. The findings demonstrated that decisions to persist are the result of all parties and components associated with the athletic training program, not just one.

Retention Initiatives Used by Professional Bachelor's Athletic Training Program Directors

Context: Retaining athletic training students has been identified as problematic by approximately half of athletic training program (ATP) directors. It is unknown what ATP directors do to improve athletic training student retention. Objective: To identify initiatives that ATP directors use to improve the retention rates of athletic training students in their programs. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Undergraduate ATPs. Patients or Other Participants: We asked directors of ATPs across the nation to complete an Internet questionnaire. We obtained responses from 171 out of 343 ATP directors (51.6%). In addition, we completed follow-up interviews with 16 randomly selected ATP directors. Main Outcome Measure(s): During the online questionnaire, we asked ATP directors to describe any specific initiatives they or their ATP used that were aimed at retaining athletic training students and ideally what they would like to do to improve athletic training student retention at their institution. During the follow-up telephone interviews, we asked participants to further describe their retention strategies and other techniques not already mentioned in their questionnaire responses to gain further insight. We used a general inductive approach to analyze the data and performed multiple-analyst triangulation, member checks, and a peer review to ensure the trustworthiness of the analysis and results. Results: During data analysis, we identified 3 themes that highlight the ATP directors' initiatives to retain athletic training students. Directors discussed fostering a family atmosphere, strategic planning, and having resources available to support students as ways to improve retention. Conclusions: Athletic training program directors are encouraged to integrate students into their programs early through informal and formal participation opportunities, evaluate student potential prior to formal admissions, plausibly through an interview process, and educate students on scholarship opportunities to help offset tuition and fees associated with program completion.

The Role of Personality in Job Satisfaction Among Collegiate Athletic Trainers

Context The degree to which an individual likes his or her job is known as job satisfaction. A person with higher job satisfaction is less likely to depart from a profession than a person with lower job satisfaction. Researchers studying job satisfaction among other allied health professionals suggest a personality component could explain why the reasons for departure can be so individual.Setting Collegiate institutions.Objective To determine the relationship between job satisfaction and personality among collegiate athletic trainers (ATs).Patients or Other Participants A total of 202 ATs (68 [33.7%] men and 134 [66.3%] women), were recruited using the National Athletic Trainers' Association e-mail database. We excluded any AT from this study who worked outside of the collegiate setting. The response rate was 20.2%.Intervention(s) Data were collected using a Web-based survey instrument consisting of 3 sections: (1) demographics, (2) job satisfaction survey, and (3) Big Five Personality Inventory.Main Outcome Measure(s) Independent t tests were run to determine sex differences, and correlations were run to evaluate relationships between demographics and job satisfaction and between job satisfaction and personality.Results Women reported higher levels of neuroticism than men. Extroversion and conscientiousness showed a weak positive relationship with job satisfaction. A moderate positive relationship was found between agreeableness and job satisfaction. A moderate negative relationship was noted between neuroticism and job satisfaction.Conclusions Based on our findings, head ATs or other organizational leaders may consider using personality assessments during interview processes, or athletic training program directors may be able to better guide students interested in athletic training based on knowledge of their personalities.

Retention Initiatives Used by Professional Master's Athletic Training Program Directors

Context Many professional master's athletic training program directors believe retention is a problem facing athletic training education. However, it remains unknown what steps, if any, are taken to improve retention. Objective To inquire with program directors about their respective methods and interventions aimed at increasing retention rates. Design Qualitative study. Setting Professional master's athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants Fifteen program directors out of 25 responded to an online survey invitation for a response rate of 60%. We also completed follow-up telephone interviews with 8 randomly selected program directors to gather greater insight into the ways they improve retention. Main Outcome Measure(s) We asked directors of all 25 professional master's athletic training programs in the United States to complete an online survey. We also asked 8 program directors from those who responded to complete telephone interviews. Grounded theory guided data analysis and we secured credibility through the use of multiple-analyst triangulation, member checks, and peer review. Results We identified 3 themes of ways program directors help improve student retention rates. Our participants described adequately screening admissions packets, providing financial support to defray the cost of pursuing a degree in athletic training at the professional master's level, and various student initiatives. Conclusions Based on our findings, we recommend a thorough application process that screens prospective students and identifies those who can complete the program. Program directors should also find ways to help defray the costs of earning a master's degree to allow students to become integrated into the program intellectually, socially, and clinically without increasing stress levels. Finally, providing students with opportunities for early socialization and mentoring should be aimed at explaining program expectations while preparing the students for professional practice.

Occupational Stress for Athletic Training Program Directors

The roles and responsibilities for program directors of professional educational programs are numerous. The purpose of this study was to investigate how multiplicity of roles and responsibilities influence occupational stress. Role theory was the theoretical framework to organize the research and to investigate the influence of multiple roles and responsibilities on occupational stress of Athletic Training Program Directors (ATPDs). This mixed methods study investigated which occupational roles and responsibilities contributed to the greatest amount of occupational stress for ATPDs. All ATPDs from the Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited programs were invited to participate in an online survey to investigate personal and program characteristics and to determine which occupational roles and responsibilities produce the most occupational stress. Eighty-three ATPDs participated in this study, and the stress levels in the various occupational roles and responsibilities were measured, summed, and averaged. The results indicated that accreditation was the most stressful occupational role and responsibility category whereas service was the least stressful occupational role and responsibility category. This study presents information which heightens awareness of occupational stress experienced by ATPDs and contributes to the understanding of the multifaceted ATPD position.

Engagement Theory in Action: An Investigation of Athletic Training Program Directors

Objective: To examine the use of good practice indicators by athletic training program directors and to provide a theoretical framework using engagement theory, a learner-centered process focusing on program improvement through continuous planning and evaluation, as a foundation for implementing good practices in athletic training education programs. Design and Setting: Athletic training education program directors completed the study's instrument. Responses were analyzed using correlations and regression models following return of the instruments via United States mail. Subjects: Seventy-three undergraduate athletic training education program directors for CAAHEP (now CAATE)-accredited, entry-level programs completed the instrument for this study. Measurements: Subjects completed a demographic sheet indicating Carnegie classification (research and doctoral or comprehensive and baccalaureate), appointment type (administrative/academic or academic/athletic), and degree type (education or non-education). The participants also completed a faculty inventory based on the “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” Data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 10.0). The independent variables were institution type, program director appointment type, and terminal degree type. The dependent variables were the collective and individual subscale scores on the inventory. Results: There were no differences in self reported principles of good practice between program directors of different institution, appointment or terminal degree types. It was clear however, that athletic training program directors across the country report use of quality practices in their teaching. Conclusions/Recommendations: Engagement theory provides a strong foundation for implementing quality indicators in both didactic and clinical instruction in athletic training education programs. The faculty inventory used in this study provides athletic training educators an instrument to use to reflect upon current practices to determine whether they reflect the quality indicators that promote engagement.