Examining Initial Perceptions of Transition to Clinical Practice from the Perspective of Professional Master's Students

Abstract

Context Newly credentialed athletic trainers are expected to be independent practitioners capable of making their own clinical decisions. Transition to practice can be stressful and present challenges for graduates who are not accustomed to practicing independently. Objective Explore the perceptions of professional master's students as they prepare to experience role transition from students to autonomous clinical practitioners. Design Qualitative study. Setting Nine higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants Fourteen athletic training students (7 male, 7 female, age = 25.6 ± 3.7 years) participated. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed a semistructured interview over the phone which focused on the perception of preparedness to enter clinical practice. All transcribed interviews were analyzed using a general inductive approach. Multiple-analyst triangulation and peer review were used to ensure trustworthiness. Results We found themes for facilitators and challenges to transition to autonomous clinical practice. Students felt prepared for independent practice due to (1) mentoring networks they had developed, (2) exposure to the breadth of clinical practice, and (3) autonomy allotted during clinical education. Potential challenges included (1) apprehension with decision making and (2) a lack of confidence. Conclusions Our findings suggest graduates from professional master's programs, although ready for clinical practice, may require more time and exposure to autonomous practice to build confidence. Professional master's program administrators should work to provide clinical education experiences that expose students to a wide variety of clinical situations (patients, settings, preceptors) with appropriate professional role models while providing decision making autonomy within accreditation standards.

Longitudinal Examination of Transition to Practice for Graduates of Professional Master's Programs: Socializing Factors

“…Transition to clinical practice from a student to an independent athletic trainer can be stressful, and is often accompanied by a period of uncertainty and need for continued reassurance. 12,22 Although we have seen an increase in the literature on transition to practice, 10,23-25 no studies have investigated the topic longitudinally. Our study highlights the use of mentorship and clinical education experience as important mechanisms to support the transition process.…”

“…Mentoring networks and range of experiences have been found to help reduce the apprehension and lack of confidence newly credentialed athletic trainers can face. 12 Our work recognizes that while living the job is necessary for transition, calling on past mentors and relying on past experiences can also be necessary for a smooth transition throughout the first year. Our findings also suggest that mentorship should continue even after transition has occurred, and that newly credentialed athletic trainers must live the role as a means to successfully transition.…”

“…17 The first part of the socialization process, the pre-entry phase, or the anticipatory phase, begins during the individual's enrollment in a degree program that provides exposure to the roles, the responsibilities, and the expectations associated with that role. 26,27 Mentorship 12,25,28 and the chance to be engaged in the role 28 are 2 primary means to help individuals, in this case athletic trainers, to be trained and acclimated to their professional role. We provide some recommendations for program administrators and preceptors based upon our findings (Figure 3).…”

“…Common practices to support those transitioning are the inclusion of mentorship and real-life experiences, as well as orientation sessions before entrance into the workplace. [8][9][10][11][12] Many of the transition-to-practice support mechanisms are designed to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty that can accompany the process and improve athletic trainers' confidence and competence to provide patient care. For example, orientation sessions allow newly certified athletic trainers the chance to understand the policies and procedures that govern them in their new workplace.…”

“…[9][10][11] Additionally, mentorship can assist the role inductance process because it not only provides continued awareness of the nuances of the workplace, but also increases confidence in decision making during provision of medical care. 8 Recently, Bowman and colleagues 12 investigated the perceptions of transition to practice held by graduate athletic training students enrolled in their final semester of a professional preparation athletic training program preparing to begin their first jobs. Findings of this study suggested that as graduate athletic training students prepared for their first year of employment, they believed their transition would be eased due to mentor networks, their exposure to the breadth of clinical practice, and the autonomy they had been allowed during their educational experience.…”