Athletic training students in the college/ university setting and the scope of clinical education

Abstract

Context: Athletic training education programs must provide the proper type and amount of clinical supervision in order for athletic training students to obtain appropriate clinical education and to meet Board of Certification examination requirements.

Objective: To assess athletic training students' perceptions of the type and amount of clinical supervision received during clinical education.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: 124 CAAHEP-accredited NCAA institutions.

Patients or other participants: We obtained a national stratified random sample (by National Athletic Trainers' Association district) of undergraduate athletic training students from 61 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited athletic training education programs. A total of 851 athletic training students participated in the study.

Main outcome measure(s): Differences among athletic training students with first-aider/provider qualifications, student supervision during moderate-risk and increased-risk sports, program/institutional characteristics, type and amount of clinical supervision, and students' academic level and mean percentage of time spent in different types of clinical supervision.

Results: A total of 276 (32.4%) of the students reported that they supplied medical care and athletic training-related coverage beyond that of a first aider/provider. Athletic training students stating that they traveled with teams without supervision numbered 342 (40.2%). A significant difference was noted between the amount of supervision reported by sophomore and senior students ( P < .01).

Conclusions: Athletic training students do not seem to be receiving appropriate clinical supervision and are often acting outside the scope of clinical education.