Athletic Training Students' Perceptions of the Immersive Clinical Experience and its Influence on their Development

Abstract

Context: Immersive clinical experiences are critical clinical education components in athletic training. Program directors have indicated potential isolation from peers and faculty, a financial burden, and less engagement in quality learning during immersive clinical experiences. Objective: To explore athletic training students' perceptions of the immersive clinical experience as it pertains to their development. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Individual virtual interviews. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 15 athletic training students who participated in the immersive clinical experience in the last 9 months took part in our study (males = 4, females = 11; age = 25 ± 5 years, range = 21-36 years). Data Collection and Analysis: We conducted interviews and recorded and transcribed them verbatim. We developed a codebook using the consensual qualitative research tradition to identify domains and categories. Trustworthiness was established using member-checking, multiple researchers, and an auditor. Results: Athletic training student perceptions of the immersive clinical experience revealed 2 domains: exposure and improved preparation for clinical practice. From increased exposure, participants gained additional experience with administrative duties, communication and relationships, interprofessional and collaborative practice, an increased quantity and quality of patient encounters, and preceptor influence on learning opportunities. From improved preparation, participants experienced socialization in which they were more integrated in facility activities, gained a greater appreciation for the value of the profession, had greater autonomy and inclusion, and perceived more value in the immersive clinical experience than in nonimmersive experiences. Conclusions: Athletic training students who participate in immersive clinical experiences feel that they have increased exposure to athletic training practice and improved preparation for transition to practice.