Preceptor Understanding, Comfort, and Use Related to Evidence-Based Practice Competencies

Abstract

Context The Fifth Edition of the National Athletic Trainers' Association Athletic Training Education Competencies includes the significant addition of competencies covering evidence-based practice (EBP). While the concept of EBP is not new, the terminology in the Competencies may be new to clinical practitioners who did not receive the same educational experiences. Objective The objective was to explore the understanding, comfort, and use related to EBP competencies by preceptors. Specifically, we explored the efficacy of an educational intervention designed to increase preceptors' understanding of, comfort with, and use of the EBP competencies. Design Participants were assigned to an experimental or control group. A pretest and posttest design was used to measure understanding, comfort, and use. An educational intervention designed to increase understanding, comfort, and use of the EBP competencies was used with the experimental group. The education intervention was a combination of presentations, student-led article reviews, and a student-led project. Setting The study was completed at a large state-affiliated Midwest university. Patients or Other Participants Nineteen preceptors from the collegiate and high school setting (12 men and 7 women, average age = 32 ± 8.3 years, average experience = 8.1 ± 8.8 years). Main Outcome Measures A survey instrument (EBP Preceptor Survey) was designed and tested for reliability (α = .979). All participants completed the EBP Preceptor Survey before and then after the intervention. Experimental preceptors completed the education intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance was used to detect pretest to posttest differences at the P ≤ .01 significance level. Results Statistically significant results indicate that after the intervention the experimental preceptors increased understanding for 4 of the 14 competencies, comfort for 9 of the 14 competencies, and use for 1 of the 14 competencies. Conclusions A focused education intervention may increase understanding and comfort but might not increase use of EBP concepts.