Exploration of Anticipatory Socialization and Transition to Practice: Multistakeholder Perspectives

Abstract

Context The transition to practice of novice athletic trainers (ATs) has been explored from the perspectives of ATs, supervisors, and faculty separately. Objective To investigate multiple stakeholders' perceptions of and experiences with novice ATs and their transition to practice. Design Qualitative study. Setting Telephone/online. Patients or Other Participants Seventeen novice ATs (age = 26 ± 5 years, experience = 9.5 ± 5 months; professional degree: bachelor's = 5, master's = 12), 10 faculty and 8 preceptors (age = 43 ± 10 years), and 16 supervisors of novice ATs (age = 52 ± 11 years) participated. Data Collection and Analysis Participants were purposefully recruited through the National Athletic Trainers' Association survey service and social media posts. We followed the consensual qualitative research tradition while conducting individual, semistructured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and deidentified before analysis. Three researchers confirmed data saturation and analyzed transcripts over multiple rounds using a consensus codebook. To enhance trustworthiness, multiple researchers, member checking, and auditors were used. Results Four themes emerged regarding the anticipatory socialization of students and their transition to practice. Novice ATs' personal characteristics and behaviors were described as facilitating or impeding their professional interactions. Their content knowledge and skills were considered sound, but they struggled with health care administrative tasks and interpersonal skills. Professional preparation that included a variety of clinical experiences and practical applications was identified to be most helpful, yet more opportunities to purposefully engage in daily responsibilities of ATs were needed. Lastly, when reciprocal learning occurred it was deemed valuable among stakeholders. Conclusions Novice ATs are perceived to be energetic, eager, and academically prepared. However, underdeveloped professional or interpersonal skills and limited familiarity with health care administrative tasks can hinder their transition to practice. Therefore, faculty and preceptors should work collaboratively to engage students in all facets of AT job responsibilities to enhance their ability to navigate the workplace.