Factors Influencing Senior Athletic Training Students' Preparedness to Enter the Workforce

Abstract

Context: Athletic training education programs must provide the student with opportunities to learn the roles and responsibilities of the athletic trainer. Objective: Investigate factors that help prepare the athletic training student (ATS) to successfully enter the workplace upon graduation from her undergraduate program. Design: Exploratory qualitative study using phone interviews. Setting: Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-six interviews were conducted with ATSs (7 men, 19 women) who were pursuing an athletic training position postgraduation. Data Collection and Analysis: Interview data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed utilizing the specific procedures of grounded theory. Trustworthiness of the data was established by using 2 specific strategies, including (1) member checks and (2) multiple analyst triangulation. Results: Two themes emerged from the data explaining the ATS level of preparedness, as they got ready to assume a position in the athletic training workforce: diversified clinical experience along with strong mentorship. Conclusions: Athletic training educators need to promote the mentorship relationship between the ATS and clinical instructor as it helps the ATSs gain self-confidence in their clinical abilities. Moreover, by providing variety in clinical experiences the ATS can gain a holistic impression of the field, thus gaining an appreciation for the varying roles within each clinical setting while developing clinical competence and confidence.