High-fidelity simulation is widely used in healthcare for the training and professional education of students though literature of its application to athletic training education remains sparse. This research attempts to address a wide-range of data. This includes athletic training student knowledge acquisition from high-fidelity simulation, effects on student confidence, emotional responses, and reports of lived experiences in different phases of simulation. A mixed methods study design was employed with pre- and postintervention evaluations of students' cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge, confidence, emotions, and lived experiences via the Presimulation CPR Survey, the Postsimulation CPR Survey, and the Reactions to the Simulation Experience Postsimulation Reflection assignment. The study was conducted in the University's high-fidelity simulation center. Twenty undergraduate athletic training students enrolled in a junior-level clinical practicum class. We identified a significant difference in athletic training student knowledge acquisition (pretest: x̄ = 3.75, SD = .546; posttest: x̄ = 4.60, SD = .394) and identified a significant increase through a paired sample t test (t19 = −5.640, P < .001). We demonstrated a significant difference in athletic training student confidence (pretest: x̄ = 4.18, SD = .524; posttest: x̄ = 4.68, SD = .295). The findings of this paired sample t test (t19 = −4.485, P < .001) identify a significant increase in confidence related to CPR skills. Students reported a mean score of 4.5 out of 5.0 (SD = .761) of experiencing emotional reactions to the simulation including anxiety, fear, and nervousness. Students reported on a scale of 5.0, (x̄ = 4.63, SD = .34) the simulation was overall a positive and valued learning experience. High-fidelity simulation is highly effective in athletic training education and has similar outcomes in knowledge acquisition, confidence, and emotional responses to other healthcare professional education.Context
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Researchers have reported that interacting with standardized patients (SPs) is a worthwhile and realistic experience for athletic training (AT) students. These encounters enhance students' interviewing skills, confidence as a clinician, clinical skill development, and interpersonal communication. To determine how SP encounters impacted students' confidence in performing clinical evaluations. Pretest-posttest survey design. Athletic training simulation lab. Thirty-five students from the junior (n = 20) and senior (n = 15) AT cohorts from a public liberal arts institution in the Southeast. Athletic training students completed 2 SP encounters per semester throughout an academic year in the AT program, totaling 4 SP encounters. Each student completed a 17-item Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) that rated confidence levels immediately before and after each SP encounter. The confidence rating assessed students' confidence regarding how the SP encounter affected their confidence in completing patient evaluations (eg, identifying history questions, interpreting results of special tests). We computed descriptive statistics for all items Wilcoxon signed rank tests determined differences in pre-encounter and should be postencounter confidence ratings. Overall, students from both cohorts reported that the SP encounter improved confidence in completing clinical evaluations. Specifically, students reported a significant increase from pre-encounter to postencounter confidence ratings after nutrition-based (Z = −2.991, P = .004), knee (Z = −3.261, P = 0.001), concussion (Z = −3.294, P = .001), psychosocial intervention (Z = −3.062, P = .002), and general medical (Z = −3.524, P > .001) SP encounters. The authenticity and fidelity of the SP encounter provided the AT students a real-time clinical evaluation in a nonthreatening environment. Students reported that their confidence improved after each encounter. By providing these experiences, AT students can become comfortable interacting with patients in clinical evaluations.Context
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Graduates of athletic training programs (ATPs) have identified factors contributing to their persistence through professional education. However, program directors have yet to elaborate on programmatic attributes that might contribute to athletic training student retention in their respective ATPs. To determine program directors' perceptions of ATP strengths and areas for improvement regarding athletic training student retention. Qualitative study. Bachelor's ATPs. Sixteen ATP directors with 6.0 ± 4.0 years of experience in their current positions. The participants completed audio recorded telephone interviews. We analyzed the data using principles of grounded theory and maintained trustworthiness using multiple-analyst triangulation, peer review, and member checks. We found 2 themes to describe the strengths of bachelor's ATPs. Our participants thought that they provided a student-centered approach and diverse clinical education experiences leading to a supportive and exciting environment to foster athletic training student learning. We categorized the student centered approach theme into 3 subthemes: program size, student engagement and program atmosphere, and academic and clinical cohesion. Program directors should strive to provide athletic training students with individual attention to help them feel welcomed, valued, and important. A small program size or adequate personnel can foster interpersonal relations which can provide athletic training students with mentoring opportunities. Improving ATP cohesion can provide learning opportunities which assist students in making connections and promote the importance of the academic and clinical education components of the ATP. Engaging athletic training students early through a variety of clinical education experiences can assist professional socialization and foster excitement for the profession.Context
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Simulations and standardized patient (SP) encounters are used to provide clinical experiences for students. In athletic training, no research has examined the perceived educational benefits of these interventions. To explore athletic training students' perceptions regarding small group SP encounters and individual case-based simulations (CBSs). Grounded theory. One midwestern university. Nine athletic training students (3 males, 6 females; 20 ± 0.833 years old) who enrolled in a lower extremity orthopaedic evaluation course during their first or second semester in an athletic training program. Semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using open coding and axial and selective coding (ie, to develop themes/threads). To ensure trustworthiness, we used member checks and peer debriefing. For both the small group SP counter and individual CBS, 2 themes emerged: (1) reflection-on-specific action and (2) increased confidence. Participants reflected on both experiences when providing patient care. Participants felt that both encounters could improve their confidence with regard to future clinical evaluations. Specific to the small group SP encounters, peer-assisted learning emerged as a theme. Participants felt they learned from and with each other when performing the evaluation together. Specific to the individual CBS, organization of thoughts emerged as a theme. During the individual CBSs, participants felt they developed, controlled, and organized their thoughts during the evaluation. Both teaching encounters can be integrated into the curriculum of an athletic training program. Each strategy provides students with a nonthreatening educational experience with no harm to patients. In addition, each encounter can correspond to content taught in the classroom or laboratory. The long-term benefits of small group SP encounters and CBSs are unclear, and more research is needed.Context
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Limited evidence exists on the role clinical education can play in the development of athletic training student commitment for the profession. Investigating the role clinical education experiences play on the development of passion for athletic training. Exploratory qualitative study. Athletic training education programs. Seventeen students (8 males, 9 females) volunteered. Students represented both junior (13) and senior (4) levels, were engaged in 23 ± 5 hours per week of clinical education, and were 20 ± 2 years old. One-on-one, in-person interviews following a semistructured format. Multiple analyst triangulation and member checks were included as steps to establish data credibility. A positive clinical education experience as described by this cohort of students was inclusive of strong mentorship, realism, professional commitment of the preceptor, and clinical skill integration. In combination, these attributes appear to help students develop their professional commitment for athletic training. Preceptors who provided mentorship by modeling appropriate professional behaviors, providing a realistic perspective to their role, and showing enthusiasm allowed the students in this study to gain an accurate understanding of the profession. Opportunities to develop clinical skills with feedback for improvement demonstrated the preceptors' commitment to the profession and the student and was valued as contributing to the overall experience. The development of the athletic training student's commitment to the profession is directly related to a positive clinical education experience facilitated by a preceptor who is also passionate about the job. Preceptors are encouraged to provide the athletic training student with a realistic impression of the clinical setting in which they are gaining experiences in order for them to fully understand their future role and responsibilities. Maintaining an optimistic but pragmatic attitude is also valued by the athletic training student.Context
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Black women are dramatically underrepresented in the health care profession of athletic training. It may be theorized that one of the reasons more black female students are not entering into the profession of athletic training is that they do not have adequate mentors to successfully guide them. The purpose of our qualitative study was to examine the perceived effects of mentoring on the retention and credentialing of black women athletic trainers. Qualitative. Clinical settings. Ten certified athletic trainers who self-designate as black women. We conducted one-on-one phone interviews and follow-up on personal case study interviews, which were transcribed verbatim. We performed constant comparative analysis of the data and established trustworthiness via member checks and peer review. (1) Mentoring promotes matriculation and successful college completion and credentialing of black women athletic training students, and (2) although shared race and gender are favorable mentor characteristics, accessibility and approachability are more essential traits of mentors. These findings offer athletic training educators potential insight into ways to improve the athletic training educational success of black women enrolled in athletic training education programs that may lead to their increased participation/advancement in the athletic training profession.Context
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Recognizing the preferred learning style of professional undergraduate and graduate athletic training students will equip educators to more effectively improve their teaching methods and optimize student learning. To determine the preferred learning style of professional undergraduate and graduate athletic training students using Marshall and Merritt's Student Learning Style Questionnaire based on Kolb's theory of experiential learning. Cross-sectional survey. Colleges with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accredited professional undergraduate and/or graduate athletic training programs. Four hundred twenty-nine students (men = 125, women = 303, not available = 1) from 88 professional undergraduate programs and 69 students (men = 27, women = 42) from 21 professional graduate programs. A 40-item Student Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) was administered. Participants chose between words that were characteristic of how they learn. After scoring the LSQ, the learning style preferences were determined. The styles were Diverger, Assimilator, Converger, or Accommodator. Learning Style Questionnaire survey scores were used to determine the preferred learning style of male and female professional undergraduate athletic training students, male and female professional graduate athletic training students, and any significant differences between learning styles. The χ2 goodness of fit test and χ2 test of independence were used to compare differences between the groups. A significant difference (P ≤ .0001) was observed between learning styles. The Diverger style was preferred by both professional undergraduate and graduate athletic training students. We found no significant difference in preferred learning style between the undergraduate and graduate student groups or between men and women. Although undergraduate and graduate athletic training students have a variety of learning styles, the Diverger style of learning, which relies on concrete experience and reflective observation, was preferred in our study. Educators should provide learning opportunities in a variety of ways to reach all preferred learning styles.Context
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Research suggests that knowledge gaps regarding the appropriate use of airway adjuncts exist among various health care practitioners, and that knowledge is especially limited within athletic training. To determine the relationship between perceived knowledge (PK) and actual knowledge (AK) of airway adjunct use and the difference in PK after AK assessment. Knowledge assessment. Two thousand athletic trainers received the survey via e-mail; 152 (7.6%) responded. The AK assessment included 7 items based on the use and implementation of airway adjuncts based on the National Athletic Trainers' Association educational competencies. Perceived knowledge was measured using a well-established PK questionnaire, which also included 1 item to rate likelihood to pursue continuing education (CE). Perceived knowledge was compared pre- and posttest. Our demographic variables assessed how often lifesaving skills were used. We used total scores of the AK assessment to measure AK. We employed dependent t tests to determine the pre- and posttest differences in PK and likelihood to pursue CE. We used a correlation analysis to determine the relationship between PK and AK. We calculated separate analyses of variance to determine differences in AK between the frequencies of lifesaving skill use. We identified no significant change (t150 = −0.91, P = .37, 95% confidence interval = −0.17 to 0.06) in likelihood to pursue CE. Greater PK was weakly associated with greater AK (r = 0.36, P < .001). We found a significant difference (F1,145 = 4.63, P = .03, effect size = 0.031, 1 − β = 0.57) between the frequency of use of lifesaving skills and AK. We identified a knowledge gap among athletic trainers in the use of airway adjuncts. Although the likelihood to pursue CE score was high, the score did not significantly increase after completing the assessment. Participants who use lifesaving skills more frequently scored higher on the AK assessment, suggesting that the more frequently athletic trainers utilize a skill, the more knowledgeable they are.Context
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Professional preparation in athletic training has grown from modest roots based in physical education in the 1960s to its emergence as a recognized health profession today. The profession has long embraced interprofessional practice (IPP), but many times has not been included in discussions held at the institutional, governmental, and international levels. As a result, the concept of interprofessional education (IPE), which has been an emphasis in medicine, nursing, and allied health since the 1990s, has not been a part of most athletic training programs. Investigations into IPE and IPP in athletic training have found that the concepts were misunderstood by athletic training educators because of a lack of common language and appreciation for their role in the future of health care. In 2012, the National Athletic Trainers' Association Executive Committee for Education authored “Future Directions in Athletic Training” to make recommendations regarding the evolution and promotion of IPE in athletic training. A primary part of this strategy was to develop a paper regarding IPE and IPP in athletic training to provide the profession and other stakeholders with background information and present model pedagogy that could be implemented in professional athletic training programs. The resulting document was created using a structured process that included a work group of authors from a wide range of settings.
Admission decisions are made annually concerning whom to accept into athletic training programs. To present an approach used to make admissions decisions at an undergraduate athletic training program and to corroborate this information by comparing each aspect to nursing program admission processes. Annually, athletic training students are accepted into athletic training programs based on a variety of criteria. Little is known concerning what criteria are useful when making these decisions. The goal is to admit students who will successfully matriculate through the program and become athletic trainers with state-specified credentials for practice. We present an application process that uses both subjective and objective measures, including an application form, achievement in prerequisite course work, grade point average, directed observation with preceptor evaluation, essay, admittance exam, interview, and letters of recommendation. This approach was compared to processes used to admit undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students. Although some of the information presented in the nursing literature is conflicting, there is sufficient evidence to support the use of a multifaceted approach to admission decisions. The approach presented has helped us reduce student attrition and select students who are more likely to complete all program requirements and sit for the Board of Certification examination upon program completion. Include a variety of measurements to inform admission decisions. Using a variety of measurements affords a more holistic view of the candidate without relying too heavily on any one component.Context
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Mobile applications (apps) are growing in popularity due to the increased use of smartphones. Many available apps are educational in nature and may provide both students and educators freedom for learning to occur outside of the typical classroom environment. To provide a description of relevant apps along with a brief synopsis of the suggested use by both athletic training educators and students. Additional information that may affect a user's app selection, such as cost, size of the download, and consumer ratings, if available, is also included. Applications (apps) are computer programs written specifically for Internet connected mobile phones and tablets. These programs perform specific functions for the user, usually through a touchscreen interface. Connected devices are especially popular among the Millennial and Generation Z students now enrolled in various pre-professional healthcare programs. These students were raised with technology inundating their lives; therefore, they tend to desire the use of technology more frequently than older adults. Many apps are available, however this article highlights selected apps in the categories of (1) injury evaluation and management, (2) anatomy, and (3) productivity. Educators should become knowledgeable in mobile app technology in order to meet the needs of the new generation of students. Incorporating apps into athletic training education can enhance the delivery and retention of student knowledge and provide unique educational opportunities.Context
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Reliability and Validity of the Functional Assessment of Neurocognition in Sport (FANS): A Paradigm Shift in Post-Concussion Return-to-Sport Decision-Making
Driving After Concussion: Clinical Measures Associated with Post-concussion
The role of shoulder posture in pitching mechanics and injury risk in high school baseball pitchers
Corticospinal Excitability during Standing and Its Association with Postural Control Following Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain.
The socio-economic cost of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and lateral ankle sprains in amateur football and basketball.
JAT eISSN: 1938-162X
JAT ISSN: 1062-6050
ATEJ ISSN: 1947-380X