Athletic Training Faculty Research Articles

Telehealth Education in Athletic Training

Context: Within the broad telehealth education literature, there are numerous case studies and position statements from various associations of model practices. Little is known about how athletic training is addressing telehealth education. Objective: To determine how athletic training education programs teach, assess, and structure telehealth content. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Online survey instrument Patients or Other Participants: An institutional athletic training faculty member from 82 athletic training programs in the United States. Data Collection and Analysis: The survey contained the validated Telehealth Evaluative Content in Higher Education (TECHE) instrument, which consisted of descriptive items focused on how education programs teach, assess, and deliver telehealth education content. Data were cleaned and basic descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: Of the program faculty that responded, 49% (n=39) reported that their program includes telehealth content. Specifically, 19 programs (49%) taught about the knowledge, skills, and abilities using multiple presentations across the curriculum (42%, n = 8) ,including techniques such as class discussions (68%, n = 13) and lectures (63%, n = 12). For assessment, 17 programs (44%) included simulations (65%, n = 11) evaluated most commonly by faculty (82%, n = 14). Only 14 (36%) programs created telehealth clinical experiences including practice with simulated patients throughout all the domains of telehealth skills. When programs included telehealth clinical experiences, they mainly focused (28%, n = 16) on orthopedics and (26%, n = 15) on primary care experiences. Discussion: The development of telehealth content should be based on model practices and delivered across multiple curriculum presentations. Assessment should incorporate various perspectives and utilize different methods. Practice opportunities with classmates and simulated patients that require interpersonal communication, data gathering, and patient education should be developed. Conclusion: While a slight majority of programs do not teach telehealth content, those that do teach telehealth utilize various strategies. Most program faculty use simulations conducted by faculty to assess orthopedic and primary care telehealth content.

Changes of Interprofessional Education in Athletic Training: A 5-Year Follow-up Study

Interprofessional Education (IPE) prepares students in the healthcare field for collaborative practices. Faculty perceptions of IPE have been investigated among several health professions. We assess athletic training (AT) faculty perceptions of the importance of the four IPE competencies, their attitudes towards IPE, their attitudes and beliefs about IPE in the academic settings, their perceived barriers, and opportunities towards implementing IPE in AT curricula; and how these have changed. This study utilized a cross-sectional online survey administered anonymously in 2017 and 2022. The study population was faculty from accredited AT education programs in the USA identified through the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). We find that in the last five years, faculty perception of IPE has shifted to a more positive attitude toward understanding and implementing IPE in AT programs. However, data showed no significant differences between the initial and follow-up studies. Values and ethics and teams and teamwork were the two competencies ranked the highest in both studies. Younger respondents ranked communication higher than older respondents. Barriers to IPE implementation included lack of resources, allocated funding, and institutional support. The creation of an IPE program coordinator was one of the opportunities highlighted. Faculty of AT programs are aware of the importance of IPE and demonstrated a general positive attitude toward implementing IPE in their AT curricula. However, several barriers have been identified, including a perceived negative attitudes toward AT from other health professions.

Athletic Training Students’ Preparation and Perception of Resources Available to Them Following a Critical Incident

Context Although catastrophic injuries are rare, athletic trainers must be ready for emergencies. It is unknown how athletic training students (ATSs) are prepared for postcritical incident management. Objective To explore the perceived availability and helpfulness of resources available to ATSs after critical incidents. Design Qualitative. Setting Individual interviews. Patients or Other Participants Eleven current ATSs and/or recent graduates (5 women, 4 men, and 2 prefer to not share; age = 24 ± 4 years) who experienced a critical incident during clinical education. Data Collection and Analysis We used criterion sampling for recruiting participants in multiple modes until data saturation was achieved. Participants completed demographic surveys and participated in semistructured interviews regarding their involvement, resources available after the incident, and perceived helpfulness of the resources. All transcripts were deidentified and coded by a 3-person team following the consensual qualitative research tradition. Member checking, triangulation, external auditing, and peer discussion among researchers established credibility and trustworthiness for the analysis. Results Three domains emerged strategies acquired before the incident, management during the incident, and postincident regulation of a review of the resources that had been available. In strategies acquired before the incident, participants described that program preparation, previous personal/clinical experiences, and self-regulating mental health strategies all assisted in managing emotions after the incident. During the incident and the time immediately after, participants discussed managing emotions with formal debriefing, sound policies and procedures, and communication with athletic training faculty and peers. After the incident, some noted that they had an abundance of resources available to them during the critical incident, whereas others noted feeling isolated. Conclusions ATSs have resources available to them and an awareness of the impact critical incidents have on mental well-being. They relied on convenient coping mechanisms (eg, peers, preceptors, or faculty debrief) rather than formal counseling. Athletic training programs should provide students with resources and support before and after incidents.

Implementing Interprofessional Education Into Clinical Experiences: Athletic Training Faculty Perceptions

Context Health care students must be prepared to engage in collaborative practice with one another. Because athletic training programs are preparing students to enter this collaborative world, interprofessional education (IPE) must be integrated into the curriculum. One aspect for consideration is clinical experiences, but little is known about how athletic training programs are implementing IPE during clinical education experiences. Objective To explore how professional, postbaccalaureate athletic training programs are integrating IPE from a clinical education perspective. Design Consensual qualitative research. Setting Phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants Coordinators of clinical education and program faculty who have a role in IPE implementation. A total of 17 faculty engaged in an interview regarding implementing IPE in their respective athletic training programs. Data Collection and Analysis Participants engaged in 30- to 45-minute phone interviews that were audio recorded for accuracy and transcribed verbatim. We used a consensual qualitative research approach to data analysis and developed a codebook collaboratively and continued to code using updated codebooks to ensure codes were accurate. We used member checking, internal auditing, and external auditing to ensure trustworthiness. Results Two main themes emerged from the data, with resulting subthemes for each. The theme of clinical experiences comprised four subthemes including intentional placement, assessment, linking to courses, and organic IPE. The theme of preceptor involvement includes the need for preceptor development, clear objectives, and active facilitation. We also used a frequency count to determine how many faculty indicated that IPE was currently occurring during clinical education in their programs. Conclusions As IPE continues to grow in necessity, athletic training educators should seek opportunities to allow athletic training students to learn about, from, and with other professions. Faculty will need to be intentional about these opportunities and will need to ensure preceptors are trained to integrate IPE and have clear objectives for IPE.

Faculty Perspective on Interprofessional Education Competencies: Respiratory Therapy Compared to Other Allied Health Professions.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) provides a framework for collaborative education between health care specialties to improve patient care. In 2010, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel established the competencies of communication, ethics, roles and responsibilities, and teams and teamwork. Studies have assessed knowledge and attitudes about IPE in several allied health educational programs including respiratory therapy (RT). We compared RT faculty to athletic training (AT), nutrition (NT), occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and dental hygiene (DH) faculty. Faculty were asked to rank the IPE competencies according to importance. RT faculty ranked communication first, then teams and teamwork, roles and responsibilities, and last ethics. A Kruskal-Wallis Dwass-Steel-Chritchlow-Fligner pairwise analysis showed statically significant differences among allied health faculty rankings of IPE competencies. In communication, RT faculty responded statistically higher than AT (P < .001), DH P < .001), NT P < .001), and OT (P = .003). In ethics, RT faculty responded statistically lower than DH (P < .001), NT (P = .01), and PT (P < .001). In roles and responsibilities, RT faculty responded statistically higher than AT (P = .007) and OT (P < .001). In teamwork, RT faculty responded statistically higher than AT (P = .02), DH (P < .001), OT (P = .002), and PT (P < .001). RT faculty who teach at different degree levels (associate's degree programs vs bachelor's and master's degree programs) had the same ranking of competencies, but they had a statistically significant difference for teamwork, with associate's degree faculty ranking teamwork lower than bachelor's and master's degree faculty.

Prioritizing the Vitality of the Athletic Training Profession.

Exploring concepts and constructs related to the work-life balance of athletic trainers has been a priority of ours for years, and it has been an honor to serve as guest editors for this special issue of the Journal of Athletic Training. In 2019, the Strategic Alliance released its prioritized research agenda for the athletic training profession and included the exploration of solutions to improve work-life balance.1 The prioritized research agenda came on the heels of the National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement on facilitating work-life balance for the athletic trainer,2 a statement that not only advocated for improved quality of life but also recognized the need for more research in work-life balance. Work-life balance is one possible individual outcome of the work-life interface, or the overlap between work and personal roles.3 It has always been our belief that in order to suggest and implement solutions to address concerns related to the work-life interface, we need a better understanding of what those concerns are, which is what prompted us to advocate for and create this special issue.The athletic training literature related to the work-life interface is robust and has roots dating back to the late 1980s, before athletic training was recognized as an allied health profession by the American Medical Association in 1990. We acknowledge that work-life balance is not unique to athletic trainers and our profession; however, the nature of our job does result in some unique causative factors. In 1986, Capel4 found that role conflict, role ambiguity, locus of control, number of hours in direct contact with patients, and number of patients in the athletic trainer's direct care were significantly related to burnout, an antecedent contributing to career departure.5,6 In recent years, the multifactorial nature of the work-life interface has been explored in the literature,3,7 and the effects of societal (gender ideology, cultural norms), organizational (work hours, organizational culture), and individual (sex, personality) factors on numerous individual- and organizational-level outcomes, including work-life balance, turnover, and job performance, have been studied.Over the last decade, we have learned that every athletic trainer, at some point in his or her career, likely faces challenges with work-life balance, regardless of sex or marital or family status. In a recent systematic review,8 burnout was observed in all subsets of the athletic training population, including students, graduate assistants, staff, and faculty. We do, however, know that different causative factors may be responsible for the challenges, which can include various personality traits, societal norms, and the ideologies associated with gender roles (pressure for men to be the breadwinner or women feeling guilty about not being at home). Athletic trainers work in a variety of settings, yet work-life balance challenges occur. Although the factors contributing to the challenges may be setting dependent, conflicts result.The need for more research stems from potential negative outcomes such as job burnout, job dissatisfaction, and turnover, as they are likely to have indirect effects on patient care. Moreover, athletic trainers' inability to find balance has implications for their personal lives, as they experience guilt for not being able to give as much to their nonwork roles, especially parenting. As investigators, we have only scratched the surface of the work-life interface phenomenon and recognize that there is more to learn and understand. A special issue dedicated to this research is a testament to the importance of the topic.

Employability in Academe for Athletic Trainers With the Doctor of Athletic Training Degree.

The doctor of athletic training (DAT) degree has recently been introduced into academe. Limited literature exists regarding how individuals with this degree can become part of an athletic training faculty. To identify department chairs' perceptions of the DAT degree and determine whether they viewed the degree as viable when hiring new faculty within a postbaccalaureate professional athletic training program. Cross-sectional study. Online survey instrument. A total of 376 department chairs who had oversight of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education athletic training programs were invited to participate. Of these, 190 individuals (50.5%) accessed the survey, and 151 of the 190 department chairs (79.5%) completed all parts of the survey. A web-based survey instrument consisted of several demographic questions and 4-point Likert-scale items related to perceptions of the DAT degree. Independent variables were degree qualifications, advanced degree requirements, institutional control, student enrollment, current faculty with a clinical doctorate, and institutional degree-granting classification. The dependent variables were the department chairs' responses to the survey items. More than 80% of department chairs were moderately or extremely familiar with the concept of an advanced practice doctoral degree, and 64% believed it would be extremely to moderately beneficial to hire someone with this degree in the athletic training program. Furthermore, 67% of department chairs were very likely or likely to hire someone with a DAT degree and expected they would do so in the next 5 years. Characteristics associated with higher perception scores were lower institutional student enrollment, having more current faculty with an advanced practice doctoral degree, and a lower institutional degree-granting classification. Department chairs recognized the DAT degree as a viable degree qualification for teaching in professional athletic training programs. Future researchers should examine the need for athletic trainers with the DAT degree in clinical practice settings.

Employability of the Doctor of Athletic Training Degree within Academe.

The Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) degree has recently been introduced into academe. Limited literature exists regarding how individuals with this degree can be utilized as athletic training faculty. To identify department chairs' perceptions of the DAT degree and determine whether they view the degree as viable when hiring new faculty within a post-baccalaureate professional AT program. Cross-sectional survey design Setting: Online survey instrument Patients or Other Participants: 376 department chairs who had oversight of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education athletic training programs were invited to participate. 190 individuals (50.5%) accessed the survey and 151 of the 190 department chairs completed (79.5%) all parts of the survey. A web-based survey instrument, which included several demographic questions and 4-point Likert-scale items related to perceptions of the DAT degree, was completed. Independent variables included institutional control, student enrollment, degree granting classification, faculty with a clinical doctorate, and advanced degree requirements. The dependent variables were the department chairs' responses to the survey items. More than 80% of department chairs were moderately or extremely familiar with the concept of an advanced practice doctoral degree and 64% reported it would be extremely to moderately beneficial to hire someone with this degree within the AT program. Furthermore, 67% of department chairs reported they were very likely or likely to hire someone with a DAT degree, and believed they would do so in the next 5 years. Characteristics associated with higher perception scores included higher institutional student enrollment, having more current faculty with an advanced practice doctoral degree, and increased level of institutional degree granting classification. Department chairs recognize the DAT degree as a viable degree qualification to teach within professional AT programs. Future research should examine the need for the DAT degree within clinical practice settings.

Adopting a Public Health Lens: One Program's Story

Context The clinical practice of athletic training involves the daily application of public health (PH) principles and practices. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in understanding and promoting the intersections of athletic training and PH. Objective The primary objective of this article is to share the path taken by the Oregon State University athletic training faculty to integrate PH perspectives into our work and provide examples of how this has affected our program, scholarly work, and service activities. Background Our college pursued and obtained accreditation from the Council for Education for Public Health. During the pursuit of accreditation, the college's leadership encouraged each academic program to integrate direct connections to PH. Description Our athletic training program embraced the administration's encouragement to adopt a PH lens and took definitive steps developing relationships and establishing collaborations with PH experts. Additionally, we started to establish approaches for infusing PH content and perspectives into our curriculum. Clinical Advantage Athletic training programs can position themselves and their students to forge partnerships and find resources, solutions, or skill sets that are currently underutilized in athletic training. Conclusions The adoption of a PH lens by the athletic training program at Oregon State University has benefitted students and faculty. We recommend all athletic training programs explore opportunities to integrate PH into activities inside and outside of the classroom.

Survey of International Experience Opportunities for Athletic Training Students and Faculty

Context International topics in athletic training are gaining recognition. Particularly interesting are opportunities for athletic training students to gain international experiences and develop cultural competence through study abroad. However, little is known about current international experience opportunities for these students. Objective To identify international experience opportunities for athletic training students, investigate student and faculty participation, and describe characteristics of institutions and programs offering such experiences. Design Survey. Setting Online. Patients or Other Participants All directors of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited professional athletic training programs were recruited. The response rate was 41.9% (163/389). Data Collection and Analysis An e-mail soliciting participation was sent in January 2019. The online survey had 4 sections: (1) questions about athletic training–related international experiences, (2) questions about discipline-related international experiences, (3) questions about athletic training faculty or student participation, and (4) demographic questions about the program or institution. Data were analyzed descriptively. The characteristics of programs offering athletic training–related international experiences were compared with programs offering discipline-related international experiences using χ2 tests for degree level, institution type, and athletic division. Results Twenty-nine programs (17.8%) offered athletic training–related international experiences and 68 programs (41.7%) offered discipline-related experiences. Private universities were more likely to offer an athletic training–related experience, and public universities more likely to offer a discipline-related experience (χ2 = 4.197, df = 1, P = .04). There were no other differences between institution types, program degree levels, or athletic divisions (all P &amp;gt; .05). Some programs reported no recent athletic training student (44%) or athletic training faculty (58%) participation in any international experience. Conclusions A minority of programs currently offer either athletic training–related or discipline-related international experiences. Characteristics of available programs vary widely. To keep pace with professional globalization, future work should identify ways to develop international experiences.

Cultural Competence: Where Are We as Athletic Training Educators?

Context Cultural competence is the ability of health care professionals to investigate and incorporate the cultural needs of patients into care and clinical decisions. Research shows that athletic training students and certified athletic trainers possess moderate to high levels of cultural competence yet struggle exhibiting culturally competent behaviors. Therefore, an exploration of athletic training educator cultural competence and preparedness to teach cultural competence concepts is warranted. Objective The study sought to assess the cultural competence of athletic training educators and how prepared, comfortable, and confident they feel teaching cultural competence and related concepts. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Online. Patients or Other Participants Ninety professional-level athletic training educators (60 women, 30 men). Data Collection and Analysis Cultural competence scores were collected using a previously validated survey tool. The remaining survey items collected information about participants' self-reported cultural competence teaching efficacy. All responses were collected through Qualtrics and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Frequency counts and percentages were determined. Measures of central tendencies were calculated for continuous variables. A paired-samples t test was used to determine if cultural competence knowledge and exhibition of culturally competent behaviors differed significantly. Results Athletic training educators identified mostly as white women (n = 59/90, 65.56%) and had high levels of self-reported cultural competence (5.33/7.00 ± 0.66). However, half of respondents (50.56%, n = 45/89) believed they do not possess adequate knowledge of cultural competence concepts, and a majority of respondents were not taught cultural competence concepts during professional education (78.89%, n = 71/90) nor during athletic training-specific continuing education opportunities (54.44%, n = 49/90). Conclusion(s) Further investigation regarding athletic training educator cultural competence education is warranted. Additionally, barriers to recruitment and retention of underrepresented athletic training faculty should be explored to increase diversity within athletic training programs. Finally, an athletic training-specific cultural competence assessment may more accurately measure cultural competence in this population.

Athletic training students’ engagement in interprofessional education in the classroom and during clinical education

ABSTRACT Interprofessional education is an area of emphasis within healthcare. Little is known regarding what other healthcare professions athletic training students engage with during interprofessional education. Therefore, our purpose was to identify the healthcare students that athletic training students engage with in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical education. We used a cross-sectional survey design with open-ended questions to survey 90 athletic training program directors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an analysis of variance to determine differences between demographic characteristics and engagement with other healthcare students in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical education. The alpha level was set at .05. Overall, athletic training students regularly engaged with students from other healthcare professions in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical education, with physical therapy and nursing being most common. Unfortunately, more than 30% of respondents indicated no engagement with other healthcare professions during clinical education or in the classroom. It was concluded that athletic training faculty need to capitalize on opportunities to expose athletic training students to other healthcare students, as well as utilizing teaching and evaluation strategies that foster interprofessional education and practice. Similarly, students need to capitalized on opportunities to engage in interprofessional practice.

Commentary on International Experience Opportunities for Athletic Training Students: A Perspective from the National Athletic Trainers' Association International Committee

ContextInternational experiences (eg, study abroad, international service projects) have many benefits, including increasing cultural sensitivity, that can enhance athletic training student development. However, international experiences directly related to athletic training may be limited or hard to identify.ObjectiveTo outline current and upcoming resources available through the work of the National Athletic Trainers' Association International Committee (IC) related to athletic training international experience opportunities.BackgroundThe IC collaborated with the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education to ask about international experiences available in accredited programs in the 2016–2017 annual report.SynthesisData were analyzed from all accredited programs (N = 410).ResultsData indicated that athletic training–specific international experiences are available at a lower rate (0%–10.6% of programs) than general university-sponsored international experiences (15.4%–84.4% of programs). Information on athletic training student and faculty involvement is limited; at least 1 student participated in 39.5% to 61.5% of programs, and at least 1 faculty member participated in 15.4% to 23.4% of programs.Recommendation(s)Future research should identify and describe current international experience opportunities, as well as identify strengths, challenges, and priorities for developing and expanding international opportunities for athletic training students.Conclusion(s)With the globalization of athletic training, emphasis on providing culturally competent care, and undergraduate opportunities created by the degree transition, it seems an opportune time to encourage international experiences for athletic training students. Current and future IC resources aim to provide guidance to students and faculty interested in international experiences.

Development of a Short-Term, Athletic Training and Public Health International Service-Learning Study Abroad Program to Nicaragua

ContextStudy abroad programs are a key educational opportunity for athletic training students to grow in cultural competence. Yet, there are few faculty-led, study abroad programs specifically designed for athletic training community engagement in low-income nations.ObjectiveTo describe the process of developing and implementing a short-term athletic training and public health service-learning study abroad program to Nicaragua.BackgroundPartnerships with a Nicaraguan partner institution aimed at creating sustainable study abroad programs for students from a variety of disciplines were initially explored. A short-term, study abroad program with athletic training and public health faculty was established based on the opportunities and benefits that it would provide to students, interests of host staff, and the accessibility to a local community.SynthesisNine athletic training and exercise science students, composed mostly of graduate students, participated in the program in Nicaragua. Students worked with local soccer coaches and their student-athletes. Curriculum for the coaches included basic athletic injury prevention and management techniques including the Fédération Internationale de Football Association 11+ injury prevention protocol, concussions and head injury, heat illness and hydration management, nutrition and performance, and basic first aid. With the student-athletes, the group implemented injury prevention skills including the Fédération Internationale de Football Association 11+, proper heading techniques, and teamwork drills.ResultsWorking with the Nicaraguan soccer players and coaches provided students important lessons in cultural competence, interprofessional education, communication, and patient care.Recommendation(s)As athletic training education shifts to a professional master's degree, it is important for educators to consider study abroad program length, structure, and student learning outcomes if they are interested in creating faculty-led programs.Conclusion(s)Athletic training study abroad programs, which provide students with opportunities for direct interaction with coaches and student-athletes, can provide students with beneficial learning opportunities. This program can offer a framework for those interested in offering short-term programs abroad.

Athletic Training Junior Faculty Experiences with Institutional Expectations for Tenure and Promotion

ContextTenure-earning faculty are evaluated in 3 primary areas including teaching, research and scholarship, and service. Struggles regarding earning tenure are not unique to the academe, but within the athletic training discipline concerns do exist.ObjectiveWe examined the organizational socialization process for junior athletic training faculty members as they learned about the tenure and promotion expectations at their institutions.DesignInterpretative phenomenological approach.SettingHigher education institutions with an athletic training program.Patients or Other ParticipantsNineteen junior faculty members (13 women, 6 men) addressed their understanding of tenure guidelines. Our participants were 32 ± 3 years of age, averaged 2 ± 2 years as a full-time faculty member, and were all at the assistant rank.Main Outcome Measure(s)All participants completed one-on-one phone interviews. We followed a stepwise approach to evaluating the data, which is described by the interpretative phenomenological approach. To ensure credibility of the interview protocol and to bracket some of our possible biases, a peer review and pilot study were conducted.ResultsThere were 3 findings regarding the faculty members' understanding of the tenure process at their institutions: (1) vague expectations, (2) change in leadership, and (3) differing expectations in departments and college levels. The faculty believe improving understanding of promotion and tenure should include (1) formal, ongoing annual feedback, (2) informal communication with administrators, (3) informal institutional mentorship, and (4) instructional scaffolding.ConclusionsAthletic training junior faculty experience challenges with understanding tenure and promotion expectations at their institutions, mainly due to changes in leadership and a dichotomy between departmental and institutional expectations. The vagueness is often overcome when the faculty member receives support and guidance from colleagues and supervisors who not only share past experiences in knowledge but also provide feedback for understanding.

Student Perceptions of Standardized Patient Use in Athletic Training Education

Context Though commonplace in medical education, standardized patients (SPs) have only recently been introduced into athletic training curricula. Limited research exists on students' perceptions of SPs as an evaluative and learning tool. Objective To determine how students interact with SPs within their curricula and to explore students' perceptions of SP experiences. Design Consensual qualitative research. Setting Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants Nine athletic training students (5 professional baccalaureate, 4 professional postbaccalaureate; 8 females, 1 male; age = 23.89 ± 3.33 years) enrolled in the final semester of their program. Main Outcome Measure(s) Semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded into themes and categories. To ensure trustworthiness, we used member checks and multiple analyst triangulation. Results Two themes emerged regarding the perceptions of the SP experiences: (1) encounter characteristics and (2) perceived value. Participants described typical SP encounter characteristics, including the environment where they occurred and the format and content of the encounter. Standardized patients were used to provide exposure to orthopaedic evaluation, general medical conditions, and emergency situations. Students felt SPs were valuable for improving both clinical and soft skills. Most participants felt the encounters were authentic and that they were able to transfer skills learned into their clinical practice. Students expressed desire for more SP encounters throughout their curriculum to increase preparedness for clinical practice. Challenges associated with SP experiences included difficulty interacting with peers in group encounters and limitations in the accuracy of the portrayals. Overall, participants perceived SP encounters to be positive and worthwhile experiences. Conclusions Programs should ensure that SP experiences are authentic, applicable, and emphasize the development of soft skills, such as communication. Based on the demonstrated benefits of SP encounters for students, athletic training faculty should consider exploring ways to incorporate SPs into their curricula.

Organizational Socialization: Experiences of Junior Faculty in Athletic Training Education Programs

Background: New faculty members become oriented to their new positions through numerous methods, such as institutional mechanisms as well as networking with various individuals. The process of acculturation is often complex, and best understood from a socialization framework. Role transition for the faculty member is often accomplished through professional socialization, or the experiences prior to beginning a faculty position. However, role transition also continues once the newly minted doctoral student is catapulted into employment. This dynamic, on-going process is often seen as organizational socialization. Objective: We sought to understand how Athletic Training faculty members navigate role transition, from doctoral student to faculty member during the pre-tenure years. Procedures: 19 junior Athletic Training faculty members completed semi-structured interviews to discuss their role transition and inductance into higher education. Data were analyzed following a general inductive approach. Credibility was secured through triangulation, peer review, and interpretative member checks. Results: We found that several organizational mechanisms were in place to support this time of role transition: 1) interviews, 2) orientation, 3) professional development activities, and 4) role consistency. Also, internal motivation and individual inquisitiveness supported this transition, as the junior faculty often solicited feedback or advice from others in their department to evaluate what was expected of them and how to succeed while performing their roles.

Work-Life Balance in Higher Education for Women: Perspectives of Athletic Training Faculty

Context: Women are largely underrepresented in science fields in academe, and most often issues with motherhood and career-life balancing are identified as reasons. In athletic training, career-life balancing has become the dominant factor in women leaving the field, as they feel they cannot fulfill the roles of mother, spouse, and athletic trainer adequately. Objective: To better understand the perceptions of women athletic training faculty members regarding balancing their roles in higher education and those outside of the workplace. Design: Interpretative phenomenological analysis study, with semistructured interviews. Setting: Higher education institutions sponsoring Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen (8 with children, 8 without children) women athletic training faculty participated. Ten were married at the time of the interview, 3 were single, 2 were engaged, and 1 was in the process of getting a divorce. Main Outcome Measure(s): Each participant completed a one-on-one interview with a researcher and all data were coded following interpretative phenomenological analysis. Data saturation was attained. We completed member checks, peer review, and researcher triangulation for credibility. Results: We found that motherhood was perceived to be a challenge and balancing the role of motherhood created conflict. Despite concerns for motherhood and balancing faculty roles, higher education was perceived to provide flexibility. Support networks and individual strategies were common to manage the responsibilities of faculty as well as nonfaculty roles. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that higher education cultivates a climate of balance through flexible workplace arrangements and that support networks are necessary to create role balancing in and out of the workplace. Finally, time management and organization are necessary for women to establish balance, regardless of roles outside of the workplace (eg, spouse, mother, friend).

Alignment of Athletic Training Doctoral Education and Faculty Workload

Context: Evidence suggests that doctoral education is incongruent with faculty positions, but this has yet to be specifically examined in athletic training. Objective: To gain understanding of the alignment of doctoral education and faculty workload, including institutional characteristics, from the perspectives of junior faculty members. Design: Qualitative, phenomenological research. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty athletic training faculty members (14 women and 6 men) who were 32 ± 3 years of age and averaged 10 ± 4 years of experience as athletic trainers and 2 ± 2 years as a full-time faculty member. Main Outcome Measure(s): We developed, peer-reviewed, and piloted 2 semistructured interview guides to obtain participants' perspectives on their doctoral preparation, entrance into higher education, and faculty workload. We completed telephone interviews with each participant over the course of 4 months. Transcribed interviews were analyzed by 2 investigators using a phenomenological approach, then reviewed by 2 additional qualitative researchers. Mechanisms of trustworthiness included member-checking, multianalyst triangulation, and peer review. Results: Two themes emerged from this study: (1) workload and (2) congruency. Faculty workload was dominated by teaching, but faculty had several demands on their time, including administration, service, and research. Most faculty positions focused on teaching, whereas their doctoral education was more focused on research, possibly because of a lack of congruency between doctoral education and faculty position institution types. Although mismatches occurred between doctoral education and faculty workload, participants were often aware of these differences and selected faculty positions aligned with their career goals. Conclusions: Faculty workload is generally teaching-focused and contains additional demands that are often not included in doctoral education programs. Doctoral advisors should promote adequate socialization to these characteristics of faculty positions, and doctoral students should consider their interests and faculty workload when searching for faculty positions.

Faculty Mentorship in Higher Education: The Value of Institutional and Professional Mentors

Context:Mentorship has been identified as a key aspect to the transition into higher education for the junior faculty member, as it is an effective organizational socializing agent. The literature, however, often examines mentorship as a derivative of the socialization process, rather than as the primary focus of investigation.Objective:Explore the perceptions of mentorship for the athletic training faculty member on professional development and transition into a new faculty role, specifically looking at mentorship through a role transition and inductance lens for the junior faculty member.Design:Phenomenology.Setting:Higher education institutions.Patients or Other Participants:Twenty junior athletic training faculty members (14 women, 6 men) who met our inclusion criteria. All participants were in positions leading to promotion or tenure. Saturation was met with our 20 participants.Main Outcome Measure(s):Semistructured phone interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim afterward. Using a phenomenological approach, we analyzed the data. Credibility of the data was confirmed with peer review and researcher triangulation.Results:Mentoring relationships were determined to be internal and external to the athletic training faculty member's institutions. Relationships were classified as informal, regardless of the location of the mentor. Internal mentoring relationships were informal and navigated by the faculty member with individuals the faculty member believed to have valued experiences and knowledge regarding the institution's culture and expectations for role performance and promotion. External mentors, mostly doctoral advisors, were individuals who could continue to support professional development and the specific tenets of higher education independently of institutional expectations.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that mentoring is done by a constellation of individuals, as each mentoring relationship fulfills a particular need of the junior faculty member and one mentor may not provide or possess all the necessary experiences to support the transition.