Athletic Training

Clinical Experience Policies and Guidelines

Clinical experience is a key factor in the development of an athletic training student's skills. Research indicates that up to 30% of a student's knowledge is obtained in the clinical setting. For a student to gain the most from clinical experience, they should have complimentary didactic course work prior to or concurrent with the clinical exposure. Students are required to enroll in a clinical experience course each semester that they are enrolled in the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MS-ATRN) degree program. The clinical experiences are designed to allow students the opportunity to move from classroom theory and laboratory practice to application of skills with actual patients/athletes.

Each athletic training student is assigned to a particular preceptor for a specified amount of time in an effort to increase the opportunities to work on specific clinical skills and receive consistent feedback and correction. Such assignment allows the preceptor to measure the student's skill development over time. While each semester has a particular clinical focus, it is recognized that review of skills and information gained in previous experiences will occur each semester. Preceptors for athletic clinical experiences are certified athletic trainers or physicians. Preceptors for supplemental clinical experiences are other licensed health care providers including physical therapists, nurses, physical assistants, and EMTs.

CAATE requires that the educational process for athletic training students includes clinical experiences with a variety of populations: different sexes, various ages, different socioeconomic statuses, varying levels of activity, varying levels of athletic ability, varying levels of risk, individual and team sport activities, and non-sport activities. Students gain these experiences in traditional collegiate and high school athletic training settings, medical offices/clinics, orthopedic offices/clinics, physical therapy offices, and emergency medical settings (ambulance/EMS).

Since most of the clinical sites utilized by the program are off-campus, students will be required to have reliable transportation in order to travel to the assigned clinical site.

 

Clinical Experience Course Responsibilities and Guidelines

Responsibilities of preceptors at clinical sites include, but not limited to:

  • Provide orientation to venue policies and procedures prior to patient interactions
  • Provide appropriate direct supervision of the student with the ability to intervene on behalf of the student and patient
  • Ensure that patients can differentiated students from licensed practitioners
  • Provide immediate access to critical incident response procedures (e.g., emergency action plans)
  • Provide communicable disease policies
  • Provide blood-borne pathogen exposure plan
  • Provide patient privacy and confidentiality procedures (HIPAA)
  • Provide instruction in documentation processes (electronic medical records and paper records)
  • Establish a schedule with the student that follows the guidelines of the clinical experience course in which the student is enrolled

Responsibilities of students at clinical sites to include, but not limited to:

  • Meet all expectations of the clinical experience class in which they are enrolled
  • Communicate with preceptors proactively to ensure optimal learning
  • Become familiar with and follow all setting-specific policies and procedures
  • Become familiar with the location of all supplies and materials in the setting
  • Demonstrate initiative and competence in providing appropriate patient care and record keeping
  • Demonstrate initiative and competence in maintaining the clinical facility and equipment
  • Provide mentoring to younger students in the setting

MS-ATRN Clinical Experience Course Descriptions