University of Oregon

Department of Human Physiology Graduate Studies in Athletic Training and Sports Medicine

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Perceived Professional Preparation of Newly Certified Athletic Trainers

Craig Switzler MS, ATC

Objective:
To evaluate the satisfaction that new ATCs perceived with their academic preparation for employment.

Design and Setting:
We developed an online survey questionnaire based on the domains and proficiencies of Athletic Training. The questions used a Likert scale to rate satisfaction with academic preparation.

Subjects:
We surveyed 277 ATCs that had been certified less than 18 months.

Measurements:
New ATCs’ satisfaction rates of perceived academic preparation for employment based on domains and proficiencies of Athletic Training.

Results:
Highest satisfaction in acute care, assessment & evaluation, and risk management proficiencies, lowest satisfaction in pharmacology, nutritional aspects of injury & illness, and psychosocial intervention & referral. Compared to a previous study1 there was a slightly higher but comparable satisfaction in the domains except clinical evaluation domain.

Conclusions:
There were unequal satisfaction rates within proficiencies and a trend of similar satisfaction responses with domains when compared to an earlier study1, with the exception of clinical evaluation domain.

Key Words:
education, survey research, employment preparation, student satisfaction, education program