Preceptors' Influence on Athletic Training Students' Development of Excitement and Commitment to the Field of Athletic Training

Context Athletic training students (ATS) who are excited about their chosen profession are likely to persist to graduation. Preceptors exert significant influence on ATS; however, little is known about the methods that preceptors use to help ATS develop their own professional commitments. Objective To investigate the methods used by preceptors to facilitate the development of excitement and professional commitment to athletic training among ATS. Design An exploratory qualitative study. Setting Athletic training education programs. Patients or Other Participants Seventeen preceptors (3 males, 14 females) volunteered for our study. The participants had an average of 6 ± 2 years of experience as a preceptor and were engaged in clinical education an average of 20 ± 3 hours each week. Main Outcome Measure(s) One-on-one interviews followed a semistructured format. Interviews were transcribed and shared with participants before analysis. Data were analyzed with a grounded theory approach consisting of open, axial, and selective coding. Multiple analyst triangulation and member checks were included as steps to establish data credibility. Results Mentoring, the central emerging theme, was characterized by modeling excitement for athletic training, accurate representation of professional practice, strong preceptor/ATS communication, and providing ATS with hands-on experience. Teaching and learning was identified as a positive attribute associated with being a preceptor. Preceptors indicated that their excitement for athletic training often stemmed from a desire to help others and the dynamic nature of the field. Conclusions Preceptors mentor ATS by displaying excitement for their profession and providing them with realistic learning experiences that are aimed at accurately representing the profession. The dynamic nature of athletic training appears to be an attractor to the profession, but it is a responsibility of the preceptor to help ATS develop an appreciation for that dynamic nature if they are to persist to graduation and eventual professional practice.