Context: Plastination techniques have emerged as effective methods for preserving human tissue and enabling human specimens to be utilized in a fashion similar to anatomical models with much greater accuracy. Opportunities to observe and experience human specimens in classroom settings should be beneficial to undergraduate and graduate students in…

Context: Before new strategies and effective techniques for implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) into athletic training curricula can occur, it is crucial to recognize the current knowledge and understanding of EBP concepts among athletic training educators. Objective: To assess athletic training educators' current knowledge, comfort,…

Context: Acquiring input from all stakeholders on the importance of existing competencies and suggestions for new ones is essential to competency-based pedagogical design quality. Objective: To survey athletic trainers (ATs) employed in clinical settings to assess their perceptions of the competencies most pertinent to their settings and whether…

Context: Instrument validation is an important facet of survey research methods and athletic trainers must be aware of the important underlying principles. Objective: To discuss the process of survey development and validation, specifically the process of construct validation. Background: Athletic training researchers frequently employ the use of…

Objective: The purpose of this article is to discuss the process of developing and validating an instrument to investigate an athletic trainer's attitudes and behaviors regarding the recognition and treatment of exertional heat stroke. Background: Following up from our initial paper, which discussed the process of survey instrument design and…

Context: Graduating athletic training students must consider both physical and mental aspects of injury to fully rehabilitate the injured athlete; however, programs may not be preparing students to apply psychosocial strategies that can improve the recovery process. Objective: To examine Psychosocial Intervention and Referral (PIR) content area…

Context: Athletic training education programs (ATEPs) promote the development of foundational behaviors of professional practice. Situated in the context of professional values, ATEPs are challenged to identify outcome measures for these behaviors. These values are tacitly reflected as part of the hidden curriculum. Objective: To ascertain the…

Context: Athletic training students and graduates are faced with many factors that direct them into or away from the athletic training profession as a final career choice. Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the career decisions made by athletic training students following graduation from an accredited professional athletic…

Context: Injured athletes rely on athletic trainers to assist them when recovering from injury. Over the last 20 years, the use of psychological skills to speed recovery has become increasingly popular. Objective: Explore athletic training students' perceptions of the importance and effectiveness of psychological skills in the rehabilitation of…

Objective: To determine employers' (clinic based ATs) perceived satisfaction of the academic preparation of entry-level ATs, and to identify perceived inadequacies of the (ATEP) curriculum. Design and Setting: Athletic trainers employed in clinical setting completed an online survey instrument. Subjects: One-hundred-four ATs serving in the NATA…

Context: Graduates of professional programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education are expected to be competent and proficient in the athletic training content areas. Objective: The unique skills and knowledge that an athletic trainer (AT) must possess may have more importance in one clinical setting than in…

Context: With the rapid expansion of ATEPs in the last decade, the demand for doctoral-trained athletic training educators has increased exponentially. As more athletic training educators enter higher education, it is important to fully understand how well prepared these educators are for life in academe. Objective: To describe employment…

Context: The use of delegation can potentially alleviate some of the stress with administering an athletic training education program (ATEP) and allow program directors (PDs) to focus on other aspects of their academic role. Objectives: To determine the reasons PDs delegate and do not delegate tasks to other faculty of ATEPs accredited by the…