Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ.
Korey Stringer Institute, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs.
J Athl Train. 2021 Sep 1;56(9):1029-1036. doi: 10.4085/55-20.
Secondary school administrators fulfill many leadership roles, including creating and implementing policies to help ensure the safety of athletic programs. However, few researchers have examined principals' awareness and perceptions of the athletic trainer's (AT's) role.
To explore secondary school principals' knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of ATs and perceptions of athletic training.
Concurrent mixed-methods study.
Cross-sectional online questionnaire.
Principals (n = 686; age = 48.1 ± 7.8 years, time in position = 7.1 ± 5.8 years) represented public secondary schools across the United States.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The web-based questionnaire was composed of demographics, various quantitative items assessing knowledge and perceived value of ATs, and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic data. Select quantitative measures are reported as count responses and overall percentages. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed inductively.
We obtained a 5% response rate (686 of 13 517). Approximately 93% (n = 637) of responding principals considered an AT to be a trusted source of medical information. The most frequently selected skills they believed ATs were qualified to perform were injury prevention (99.1%), first aid/wound care (96.5%), and therapeutic intervention (91.4%). Sixty-three percent (n = 430) of participants considered an AT to be extremely valuable to student-athlete health and safety. Our results indicated that secondary school principals had a vague understanding of AT "training" and appreciated the immediacy of care ATs could provide. They also appeared to use decentralized hiring practices.
Secondary school principals identified ATs as a trusted source of medical information and recognized the role ATs played in the immediate care of athletic-related injuries. However, principals had a limited understanding of the qualifications and educational requirements of ATs. Future professional advocacy efforts targeting this stakeholder group should highlight all medical services an AT provides and emphasize the AT's value in schools that sponsor athletics programs.
中学管理人员承担着许多领导角色，包括制定和实施政策，以帮助确保体育项目的安全。然而，很少有研究人员研究过校长对运动训练员（AT）角色的认识和看法。
探讨中学校长对 AT 角色和职责的了解以及对运动训练的看法。
同时进行的混合方法研究。
横断面在线问卷调查。
来自美国各地的公立中学的校长（n=686；年龄=48.1±7.8 岁，任职时间=7.1±5.8 年）。
基于网络的问卷由人口统计学数据、各种评估 AT 知识和感知价值的定量项目以及开放式问题组成。描述性统计数据总结了人口统计学数据。选择的定量措施以计数反应和总体百分比报告。对开放式问题的回答进行了归纳分析。
我们的响应率为 5%（686 名中的 13517 名）。大约 93%（n=637）的回应校长认为 AT 是医疗信息的可靠来源。他们认为 AT 有资格执行的最常见技能是预防受伤（99.1%）、急救/伤口护理（96.5%）和治疗干预（91.4%）。63%（n=430）的参与者认为 AT 对学生运动员的健康和安全极为有价值。我们的结果表明，中学校长对 AT“培训”的理解很模糊，并且赞赏 AT 可以提供的即时护理。他们似乎还采用了分散的招聘实践。
中学校长将 AT 视为医疗信息的可靠来源，并认识到 AT 在处理与运动相关的伤害时所扮演的角色。然而，校长对 AT 的资格和教育要求的理解有限。针对这一利益相关者群体的未来专业宣传工作应重点介绍 AT 提供的所有医疗服务，并强调 AT 在赞助体育项目的学校中的价值。
