scholarly journals Clinical Education in Athletic Training

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Edler ◽  
Lindsey E. Eberman ◽  
Stacy Walker
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Clinical Integration ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Classroom Laboratory

Context: Clinical education is a foundational component of healthcare education by which students acquire, practice, and demonstrate competency in clinical proficiencies through classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Currently, the most common practice of clinical education in athletic training is clinical integration. Objective: The purposes of this article are to describe how athletic training and similar health professions implement clinical education and to present clinical immersion as an alternative to clinical integration. Background: Clinical education is delivered differently across healthcare disciplines. Some disciplines use clinical immersion, while others use clinical integration. Some professions have specific requirements, while others are left to the discretion of the program administrators. However, few professions are measuring the effectiveness of each, leading to questions about best-practice models in clinical education. Description: Clinical integration occurs when students complete clinical and didactic course work concurrently, while in the clinical immersion model, students are immersed in patient care full time with little or no didactic course work. A hybrid model of clinical education includes both integration and immersion. Clinical Advantage(s): Preliminary research within nursing suggests that students engaged in clinical immersion perform better on certification examinations than do those from an integration model. The clinical immersion model is enhanced by the implementation of standardized patients and simulations to prepare students for immersive experiences. These encounters provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate competency before engaging in patient care, which promotes patient safety. Conclusion(s): Program administrators have the opportunity and professional responsibility to explore different curricular models and to ultimately develop better methods of preparing future athletic trainers. Moreover, educators have a responsibility to measure and report outcomes to help provide a body of knowledge regarding best practices in clinical education.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Student Persistence into Athletic Training Programs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Hudson ◽  
Valerie Herzog
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
Athletic Training Students ◽  
Clinical Integration ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Athletic Training Program Directors

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.

Seton Hall University Doctor of Science Degree Program

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15
Author(s):  
Janet Koehnke ◽  
Joan Besing ◽  
Kelly Shea-Miller ◽  
Brett Martin
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Science Degree ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Clinical Practica ◽  
The University

This article provides an overview of the clinical doctoral program in audiology at Seton Hall University. It is a full-time, 4-year program that includes academic course work, clinical practica, and research experience. In concert with the university mission, the program is designed to enable students to develop the skills they need to be leaders in the field of audiology, providing assessment and intervention to individuals with hearing problems and enhancing the knowledge base of the profession. As part of the School of Graduate Medical Education, students in the program have access to a wealth of resources in related health professions. The close proximity to New York City provides many opportunities for outstanding clinical education with a diverse population.

Defining the Engaging Learning Experience from the Athletic Training Student Perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 182-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Sarah S. Benes
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Athletic Training Education ◽  
Athletic Training Students ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association

Context Clinical experiences are an integral part of athletic training education and are where students gain the hands-on, practical knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality patient care in the field. However, some clinical education experiences may not allow athletic training students to become clinically integrated. Objective To explore athletic training students' perspectives on their clinical learning experiences, specifically as they relate to an engaging learning environment. Design Qualitative study. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accredited undergraduate programs. Patients or Other Participants Twenty-one athletic training students (6 juniors; 15 seniors) with an average age of 22 years (20–23 years) from 4 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts volunteered to participate in our study. Data Collection and Analysis Participants responded to a series of open-ended questions by journaling their thoughts and opinions through the secure website QuestionPro. Data were analyzed using open coding that was guided by a general inductive procedure. Data credibility was established through peer review, interpretative member checks, and multiple analyst triangulation. Results Our cohort identified an engaging learning environment as one that allowed active learning and participation as an athletic trainer and included communication between the student and preceptor, patient interactions, and instructor feedback regarding development and application of skills and knowledge. Conclusions Athletic training students prefer a more active learning style and value observing their preceptor engage in patient care, but they also want the opportunity to practice their athletic training skills to gain competence and confidence.

scholarly journals Organizational Infrastructure in the Collegiate Athletic Training Setting, Part III: Benefits of and Barriers in the Medical and Academic Models

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christianne M. Eason ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Ashley Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Role Conflict ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Role Strain ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Training Setting

Context: Academic and medical models are emerging as alternatives to the athletics model, which is the more predominant model in the collegiate athletic training setting. Little is known about athletic trainers' (ATs') perceptions of these models. Objective: To investigate the perceived benefits of and barriers in the medical and academic models. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions I, II, and III. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 16 full-time ATs (10 men, 6 women; age = 32 ± 6 years, experience = 10 ± 6 years) working in the medical (n = 8) or academic (n = 8) models. Data Collection and Analysis: We conducted semistructured telephone interviews and evaluated the qualitative data using a general inductive approach. Multiple-analyst triangulation and peer review were completed to satisfy data credibility. Results: In the medical model, role congruency and work-life balance emerged as benefits, whereas role conflict, specifically intersender conflict with coaches, was a barrier. In the academic model, role congruency emerged as a benefit, and barriers were role strain and work-life conflict. Subscales of role strain included role conflict and role ambiguity for new employees. Role conflict stemmed from intersender conflict with coaches and athletics administrative personnel and interrole conflict with fulfilling multiple overlapping roles (academic, clinical, administrative). Conclusions: The infrastructure in which ATs provide medical care needs to be evaluated. We found that the medical model can support better alignment for both patient care and the wellbeing of ATs. Whereas the academic model has perceived benefits, role incongruence exists, mostly because of the role complexity associated with balancing teaching, patient-care, and administrative duties.

scholarly journals Variability in Clinical Integration Achieved by Athletic Training Students Across Different Clinical Sport Assignments

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Dodge ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
College Football ◽  
Athletic Training Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Clinical Integration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Clinical Placements ◽  
Clinical Rotations ◽  
Strongly Agree

Context Clinical integration impacts athletic training students' (ATSs) motivation and persistence. Research has yet to elucidate the manner in which different clinical placements can influence clinical integration. Objective To examine differences in the levels of clinical integration achieved by ATSs across various clinical sport assignments. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Thirteen undergraduate athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants Questionnaires were administered to 169 ATSs previously engaged in clinical education experiences. One hundred twenty-nine participants completed the questionnaire, for a response rate of 76.33%. Participants completed an average of 4 ± 2 clinical rotations. Intervention(s) The 11-item clinical integration scale was administered either in-person or online methods. Responses were scored on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree). Main Outcome Measure(s) Mean clinical integration scores (potential minimum score of 11, maximum score of 66), were calculated for each clinical placement. One-way analysis of variance was used to identify differences in clinical integration achieved across clinical placements. Results We found differences in clinical integration achieved across various clinical assignments (F19,415 = 3.486, P < .001). Students completing a rotation with college football achieved the lowest levels of clinical integration (46.9 ± 9.1). Other sports rated higher, ranging from 51.6 ± 10.1 (baseball) to 57.8 ± 4.5 (lacrosse), with all reporting less anxiety and time wasting than were associated with football. The high school rotation was also rated highly (54.7 ± 6.4), with higher levels of learning reported and fewer concerns about anxiety, excessive hours, and wasting time. Conclusions There were clear differences in clinical integration achieved between sites. In particular, ATSs completing clinical rotations with college football reported the lowest levels of clinical integration. These low levels of integration stemmed from feelings of wasting time, completing menial tasks, excessive hours, and anxiety associated with the educational experience.

scholarly journals The Preparation and Development of Preceptors in Professional Graduate Athletic Training Programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-166
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Rager ◽  
Julie Cavallario ◽  
Dorice A. Hankemeier ◽  
Cailee E. Welch Bacon ◽  
Stacy E. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Clinical Teaching ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Phone Calls

Context As professional athletic training programs transition to the graduate level, administrators will need to prepare preceptors to teach advanced learners. Currently, preceptor development is variable among programs and ideal content has yet to be identified. Exploring the development of preceptors teaching graduate learners can lead to an understanding of effective preceptorships. Objective To explore graduate professional athletic training program administrators' (ie, program directors', clinical education coordinators') experiences preparing and implementing preceptor development. Design Consensual qualitative research. Setting Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants Eighteen program administrators (11 women, 7 men; 5.92 ± 4.19 years of experience; 17 clinical education coordinators, 1 program director). Participants were recruited and interviewed until data saturation was achieved. Main Outcome Measure(s) Interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview guide, and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by a 4-person research team and coded into themes and categories based on a consensus process. Credibility was established by using multiple researchers, an external auditor, and member checks. Results Participants reported the delivery of preceptor development occurs formally (eg, in person, online) and informally (eg, phone calls, e-mail). The content typically included programmatic policies, expectations of preceptors, clinical teaching methods, and new clinical skills that had been added to the curriculum. Adaptations to content were made depending on several factors, including experience level of preceptors, years precepting with a specific program, and geographical location of the program. The process of determining content involved obtaining feedback from program stakeholders when planning future preceptor development. Conclusions Complex decision making occurs during planning of preceptor development. Preceptor development is modified based on programmatic needs, stakeholder feedback, and the evolution of professional education. Future research should explore the challenges associated with developing preceptors, and which aspects of preceptor development are effective at facilitating student learning and readiness for clinical practice.

scholarly journals Simulated Patients Are Predominantly Used to Teach and Evaluate Athletic Training Students' Skills: A 10-Year Follow-Up

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk J. Armstrong ◽  
Stacy E. Walker ◽  
Thomas Weidner
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Clinical Experiences ◽  
Athletic Training Students ◽  
Content Areas ◽  
Classroom Laboratory

Context: Health care education needs to include methods of teaching and evaluation that are realistic and mimic patient care. Objective: To follow up on previous research regarding the methods athletic training educators use to evaluate and teach athletic training students' clinical skills during clinical experiences and in the classroom/laboratory. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Public and private institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Program directors of all accredited professional athletic training programs as of November 2015 (N = 372) were asked to participate; a total of 90 participated. Data Collection and Analysis: The electronic survey consisted of 6 demographic questions, 6 questions regarding methods used to teach and evaluate clinical skills, and 6 items regarding barriers, educational content areas, and practice settings for real-time patient encounters. The Cronbach α determined internal consistency, α = 0.784. Descriptive statistics were computed for all items. An analysis of variance and independent t tests analyzed differences among institutions/programs with different demographic characteristics with regard to methods, barriers, educational content areas, and settings used for teaching and evaluating skills. The α level was set at .05. Results: Simulated patients and real-time evaluations were the most prevalent methods of teaching and evaluating clinical skills in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical experiences, respectively. Students' lack of self-confidence (4.10 ± 0.835) was the most common barrier during clinical experiences. The clinical examination and diagnosis (4.54 ± 0.656) and acute care of injury and illness (4.39 ± 0.775) content areas ranked highest for sufficient opportunities for real-time skill evaluation. One-way analysis of variances revealed no significant differences related to institutional/program demographics regarding opportunities for or barriers to teaching and evaluating skills. Conclusions: Ten years after our previous research, athletic training students' skills are still primarily taught and evaluated via simulated patients, with a slight increase in real-time patient encounters. Professional programs should continue using simulations and consider real-time encounters to provide additional patient care experiences.

Autonomy, Mentorship, and Feedback: The Core of Clinical Education in Athletic Training

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
Transition To Practice ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Education Model ◽  
Independent Thinking

Clinical education provides the backbone for the socialization process for athletic trainers. It is the chance for students to engage in the role, within a real-time learning environment that allows for not only the adoption of knowledge, skills, and critical decision making, but also the profession’s foundational behaviors of professional practice. Recent criticisms of the current education model, in which the degree is conferred, center on the lack of critical thinking and confidence in clinical practice for newly-credentialed athletic trainers, as many suggest there is concern for the abilities of students to transition to practice smoothly. We offer three areas of focus for clinical education experiences for students (autonomy, mentorship, and feedback), believing this could support the development of independent thinking and confidence in skills. Our discussions are focused on the evidence available, as well as personal experiences as educators and program administrators.

scholarly journals Examining Initial Perceptions of Transition to Clinical Practice from the Perspective of Professional Master's Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-173
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Stephanie Mazerolle Singe ◽  
Brianne F. Kilbourne ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Independent Practice ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Master's Students ◽  
Master's Programs ◽  
Program Administrators

Context Newly credentialed athletic trainers are expected to be independent practitioners capable of making their own clinical decisions. Transition to practice can be stressful and present challenges for graduates who are not accustomed to practicing independently. Objective Explore the perceptions of professional master's students as they prepare to experience role transition from students to autonomous clinical practitioners. Design Qualitative study. Setting Nine higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants Fourteen athletic training students (7 male, 7 female, age = 25.6 ± 3.7 years) participated. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed a semistructured interview over the phone which focused on the perception of preparedness to enter clinical practice. All transcribed interviews were analyzed using a general inductive approach. Multiple-analyst triangulation and peer review were used to ensure trustworthiness. Results We found themes for facilitators and challenges to transition to autonomous clinical practice. Students felt prepared for independent practice due to (1) mentoring networks they had developed, (2) exposure to the breadth of clinical practice, and (3) autonomy allotted during clinical education. Potential challenges included (1) apprehension with decision making and (2) a lack of confidence. Conclusions Our findings suggest graduates from professional master's programs, although ready for clinical practice, may require more time and exposure to autonomous practice to build confidence. Professional master's program administrators should work to provide clinical education experiences that expose students to a wide variety of clinical situations (patients, settings, preceptors) with appropriate professional role models while providing decision making autonomy within accreditation standards.

scholarly journals Questioning Skills Demonstrated by Approved Clinical Instructors During Clinical Field Experiences

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary G. Barnum
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Athletic Training Education ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Clinical Instructors ◽  
Stimulated Recall ◽  
Approved Clinical Instructors ◽  
Stimulated Recall Interviews

Abstract Context: The current trend in athletic training clinical education places greater emphasis on the quality of interactions occurring between Approved Clinical Instructors (ACIs) and athletic training students (ATSs). Among other attributes, the ability of ACIs to facilitate and direct quality clinical learning experiences may be influenced by the skill with which the ACI is able to use selected teaching strategies. Objective: To gain insight into ACIs' use of questioning as a specific teaching strategy during the clinical education experiences of undergraduate ATSs. Design: Qualitative case study design involving initial and stimulated-recall interviews, prolonged field observations, and audio recording of ACI-ATS interactions. Setting: The primary athletic training facility at one athletic training education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Patients or Other Participants: The 8 ACI participants included 3 full-time athletic training education program faculty members and 5 graduate-level assistants. The 24 ATS participants included 1 senior, 17 juniors, and 6 sophomores. Data Collection and Analysis: Transcribed data collected from 8 initial interviews, 23 field observations, 23 audio-recorded ACI-ATS interactions and 54 stimulated-recall interviews were analyzed through microscopic, open, and axial coding, as well as coding for process. The cognition level of questions posed by ACIs was analyzed according to Sellappah and colleagues' Question Classification Framework. Results: The ACI participants posed 712 questions during the 23 observation periods. Of the total questions, 70.37% were classified as low-level cognitive questions and 17.00% as high-level cognitive questions. The remaining 12.64% were classified as other. Conclusions: Although all ACIs used questioning during clinical instruction, 2 distinct questioning patterns were identified: strategic questioning and nonstrategic questioning. The way ACIs sequenced questions (their questioning pattern) appeared to be more important than the number of specific cognitive-level questions posed. Nonstrategic questioning appears to support knowledge and comprehension, whereas strategic questioning appears to support critical thinking.

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