Employer Perceptions of the Academic Preparation of Entry-Level Certified Athletic Trainers

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 defined clinical employment setting who had supervised an entry-level employee.

Measurements: Participants completed an online survey evaluating their employee's didactic and clinical preparation for entry-level employment on a 4-point scale and 34 statements on a 5-point Likert scale to ascertain their satisfaction of the employee's academic preparation across the content areas comprising the BOC domains of knowledge and skills. Statistical analysis was conducted using a Cronbach's Alpha to evaluate internal consistency (.79–.88) of the scales.

Results: Only 104/1716 (6%) of employers responded to the survey. These employers rated the didactic and clinical preparation of their entry-level employees as adequate (75%, N=77), and there were no apparent deficiencies in employee preparation when comparing across content areas. Employers did report that interpersonal skills, as opposed to technical skills, were an area that could be expanded upon.

Conclusions: Employers perceived that ATEP's are adequately preparing students, both academically and clinically, for entry-level positions within the profession, although they should provide students more opportunities for interpersonal communications with coaches, parents, and the medical community.