Racial Microaggressions During Clinical Education Experiences of Professional Master’s Athletic Training Students

Abstract

Racial microaggressions can be comments or actions that are often unconsciously or unintentionally directed toward a member of a marginalized group. Athletic trainers have been found to be prone to organizational conflict and victims of harassment, however, no studies have investigated whether racial microaggressions occur during student clinical education experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine racial microaggressions’ existence in athletic training students during clinical education, specifically identifying the sources and resources that existed for those students who perceived to encounter racial microaggressions. Participants included 115 second-year master’s students who completed a questionnaire with open-ended questions. Open-ended questions were analyzed with a phenomenological approach. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Athletic training students experiencing racial microaggressions are judged based on socioeconomic status, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, appearance, or religion making students consider whether they are the problem. (2) Athletic training students suffer from a lack of resources available to them. (3) Athletic training students went through a period of career reconsideration where they questioned entering the athletic training profession because of feeling uncomfortable and discriminated against. Athletic training students are suffering from racial microaggressions during clinical education. To reduce the number of racial microaggressions that students face, athletic training education program administrators and preceptors should be educated on racial microaggressions, validate athletic training student emotions, encourage a brave space where students can openly communicate about what is transpiring at clinical sites, safely identify aggressors, and remove students from harmful environments