Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Junior Faculty Member Preparation: Perceptions of Doctoral Programs and Clinical Practice

Background: Institutions of higher education suffer from a shortage of appropriately prepared faculty members in athletic training and physical therapy programs. Both professional programs have recently undergone curricular reform and degree change. We sought gain an understanding of the preparation mechanisms experienced by athletic training and physical therapy practitioners for their junior faculty positions. Method: Twenty-six athletic trainers and physical therapists participated in this phenomenological study. Data from one-on-one phone interviews were analyzed following the inductive process of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Content experts, pilot interviews, multiple analysts and member checking ensured trustworthiness. Results: Findings indicate two primary mechanisms prepared the practitioners to become junior faculty members: doctoral degree programs and clinical practice. Doctoral degree programs did not provide experiences for all future faculty roles. Hands-on patient care practice provided participants the context for their teaching and confidence in knowledge aptitude. Conclusion: Doctoral institutions should provide a variety of hands on active learning experiences to doctoral students. Future faculty members can maximize the amount of time they provide clinical care to patients, following the attainment of their professional credential. Clinical competence and proficiency will serve as the foundational basis for their future teaching endeavors and may increase credibility and respect

The Role Mentoring Plays in the Transition to Practice of Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainers

Context: Mentoring has been identified as an important method of supporting newly credentialed athletic trainers (ATs) during their transition to practice. Gaining a better understanding of this relationship could provide valuable insights that may assist employers and professional programs in developing a plan to better facilitate the transition. Objective: To examine which aspects of the mentoring relationship provided the most benefit during the transition to practice of newly certified ATs. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 13 ATs who graduated from a professional master\u27s program, were certified from February through July 2016, and obtained employment from July through August 2016 participated in this study (6 women, 7 men; age = 26 ± 3 years; work settings included professional sports, college, secondary and middle school, and clinic). Data saturation guided the number of participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Phone interviews using a semistructured interview guide were conducted at 3, 8, and 12 months of work experience. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Credibility was established via investigator triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checks. Participants recognized the mentoring relationship as a foundational aspect of the transition to practice. Mentors should be available by phone, email, or text to answer questions, provide feedback, or discuss ideas. Respondents wanted honest feedback, even when that feedback was constructively critical. Feedback was sought regarding topics such as patient care, communication, and networking. Participants needed reassurance and support from their mentors to help validate and improve their self-confidence. Conclusions: Newly credentialed ATs should seek mentors who will be available to communicate in various ways and will provide regular and constructive feedback. Future researchers should investigate how mentoring relationships influence other aspects of the transition to practice, such as patient care, overall job performance, turnover, and satisfaction

The Role Mentoring Plays in the Transition of Practice of Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainers

Context: Mentoring has been identified as an important method to support newly credentialed athletic trainers during their transition to practice. Gaining a better understanding of this relationship could provide valuable insights that may assist employers and professional programs to develop a plan, which could better facilitate the transition. Objective: To examine what aspects of the mentoring relationship provided the most benefit during transition to practice. Design: Grounded theory. Setting: Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants: 13 athletic trainers who graduated from a professional master\u27s program, were certified between February and July of 2016, and obtained employment between July to August 11 of 2016 participated in this study (6 female, 7 male, 26±3 years; work settings included professional sports, college, secondary and middle school, and clinic). Data saturation guided the number of participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Phone interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted at 3, 8 and twelve months of work experience. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Credibility was established through investigator triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checks. Results: Participants recognized the mentoring relationship as a foundational aspect of the transition to practice. Mentors should be available by phone, email, and/or text and to answer questions, provide feedback and/or discuss ideas. Participants want honest feedback, even when that feedback is constructively critical. Feedback was sought regarding topics such as patient care, communication, and networking. Participants needed reassurance and support from their mentor which helped to validate and improve confidence. Conclusions: Newly credentialed athletic trainers should seek a mentor who will be available to communicate in various ways and provide regular and constructive feedback. Future research should investigate how mentoring relationships influence other aspects of the transition such as patient care, overall job performance, turnover, and satisfaction

Working Hours, Sleep, and Burnout Among Athletic Trainers Employed in College Athletics: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Burnout continues to be an important concern for athletic trainers working in the collegiate sport setting. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between working hours, sleep, and burnout among athletic trainers providing patient care in the collegiate setting. Methods: A web-based (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) cross-sectional study using a self-reported questionnaire was used to collect demographics and data on working hours, sleep, and burnout. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) was used to determine burnout. Results: The mean age of our participants (n=1006) was 33 ∓ 9 years; 37.6% (n=378) were male, 61.5% (619), and 1.1% (n=9) chose not to identify. Participants reported moderate burnout (61.55 ± 12.59) on the CBI, additionally a mean score of 66.41 (± 13.42) on the personal-related subscale, 63.91 (± 13.35) on the work-related subscale, and 53.94 (± 19.75) on the client-related subscale. Working more than 50 hours per a week caused collegiate athletic trainers to experience higher levels of personal and work-related burnout (67.34 (± 13.30) and 64.86 (± 13.64) respectively) as compared to those who worked less than 49 hours per week (63.54 (± 13.40) and 60.95 (± 11.96) respectively). Participants report an average of 6.77 (± .95) hours of sleep per night. Those who report less than 6.9 hours of sleep per night scored a mean of 70.48 (± 13.58) on the personal-related subscale, whereas those who report more than 7 hours of sleep per night scored a mean of 63.97 (± 12.71). Conclusions: Overall, athletic trainers in the collegiate setting are experiencing moderate levels of burnout. Athletic trainers who worked over 40 hours a week and slept less than 7 hours per night had higher levels of burnout. Sleep is an important factor in recovery and likely a strategy to prevent burnout

Mentorship Experiences of Doctoral Students: Understanding Desired Attributes of Doctoral Student Mentors

Background: Mentorship is a critical aspect of the professional development of the doctoral student who wishes to pursue a role in higher education. Continued understanding is needed regarding the needs of the doctoral student when it comes to mentorship. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the needs of a doctoral student from their mentoring relationships, as they work towards their terminal degree. Methods: This is a descriptive, phenomenological qualitative research study within universities that offer doctoral education. One-on-one, semi-structured interviews were conducted using Zoom video conference technology. Each interview, after transcribed, was analyzed following the step-wise approach of a phenomenological study. Credibility was established by 1) research triangulation, 2) bracketing/reflexivity, and 3) peer review. Results: Twelve doctoral students (7 females, 5 males) who were enrolled in doctoral programs with a focus on allied health or exercise science completed the Zoom interviews. Our participants were an average age of 28 3 years, and all twelve had graduate assistantship positions in association with their doctoral programs. Three main themes materialized from the data analyses including 1) guided autonomy, 2) humanistic nature, and 3) professional advocate. Doctoral students want guidance to develop the technical skills necessary for success by providing opportunities to perform with the chance to gain feedback. Mentors were identified as needing to demonstrate humanistic qualities that were rooted in being interpersonal. The importance of a mentor serving as a professional advocate to help the student grow and develop as a professional was also discussed. Conclusions: Doctoral students need their mentors to demonstrate both personal and professional attributes in the mentor relationship. Specifically, they are looking for guidance and feedback through independent learning, as well as a mentor who values them, is relatable, and is invested in their development as a professional

Examining Professional Identity among Collegiate Athletic Trainers and its Relationship with Work-family Conflict

Purpose: Professional identity is defined as an individual’s set of attitudes and beliefs about their specific role in their profession; a concept that could perhaps have implications on experiences of work-family conflict. The purpose of the study is to examine professional identity within college athletic trainers and how it relates to experiences of work-family conflict. Methods: Data was collected through an online survey (Qualtrics) where participants responded to demographic questions and previously validated Professional Identity and Values (PIV) Scale and the Work-Family Conflict (WFC) Scale. Demographic data were reported and analyzed for descriptives and frequencies. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were performed to identify differences among groups. Results: 585 (373 female, 210 male) college athletic trainers completed our study. Participants on average were 33 9 years of age and had 10 8 years of experience. Participants average score on the PIV scale was 93.618.96 and 4511.55 on the WFC scale. A Mann Whitey U test revealed there was no statistical difference between genders within the PIVS scale (p=.527). A Mann Whitey U test revealed a significant statistical difference between those who had less than 3 years of experience and those who had more than 3 years (U=20178.5, pConclusions:Male and female athletic trainers, regardless of their level within the NCAA collegiate setting, reported similar levels of PIV, but those athletic trainers with more than three years of experience reported higher levels. When an athletic trainer has responsibilities at home that require time and energy, his/her level of PIV is reduced

Leadership Development in Athletic Training: A Qualitative Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore how athletic trainers describe their leadership and how the profession can develop future leaders. Methods: Eight participants (four females, four males) completed a phone interview. Interview data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed utilizing a grounded theory approach. The trustworthiness of the data was established by using member checks and triangulation. Results: Characteristics of Leadership theme was defined as 1) Interpersonal Skills, 2) Vision, 3) Pride in Others’ Success, 4) Ethical Decision Making, and 5) Self-Reflective. The Leadership Development theme was characterized by 1) Role Models Professional and Personal, 2) Involvement and Networking, and 3) Workshops. Conclusions: Leaders in athletic training self-report that they possess strong personal attributes, take pride in the success of others, and demonstrate sound decision-making, which is described as honorable. Future leaders should emulate these attributes as they mature in the profession. Engaging in professional development and role modeling of past mentors helps leaders develop their skills