Pike Lacy Alicia M, Bowman Thomas G, Singe Stephanie M
School of Kinesiology, Physical Education, and Athletic Training, University of Maine, Orono.
Department of Athletic Training, University of Lynchburg, VA.
J Athl Train. 2024 Oct 1;59(10):1042-1049. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0627.23.
Athletic trainers (ATs) face organizational-professional conflict (OPC), often surrounding return-to-sport decisions. To prioritize patient safety and establish a healthy work environment, OPC must be mitigated, yet few researchers have determined how ATs manage conflicts with stakeholders.
To explore ATs' experiences with OPC in the secondary school setting.
Qualitative study.
Telephone interviews.
Sixteen ATs (9 females, 7 males; age = 43 ± 11 years; years certified = 17 ± 9; years in their current positions = 9 ± 6).
We digitally recorded telephone interviews and had them professionally transcribed. Data saturation guided recruitment efforts and was met. To ensure rigor and trustworthiness of the data, we completed basic member checks along with multiple-analyst triangulation. We analyzed the qualitative data using an interpretive phenomenological approach.
Four themes emerged effective communication, professional relationships, stakeholder education, and professional experience. Participants used effective communication described as frequent, open, and direct, during interactions with stakeholders to manage OPC. Organizational-professional conflict was reduced when ATs built professional relationships with stakeholders centered on trust and respect. Participants used stakeholder education as a primary strategy for managing OPC by educating stakeholders about prognosis and return-to-sport timelines postinjury and providing rationale for decisions made. Additionally, years of experience served as a mitigating factor of conflict, in that as ATs gained experience and confidence, they perceived less OPC.
Participants suggested various interpersonal relationship development strategies that can be implemented to manage OPC, especially when starting a new position or building rapport with stakeholders. Specifically, educating various stakeholders on reasons for clinical decisions via effective communication and developing strong professional relationships built on mutual respect assisted in avoiding OPC. Since professional experience appears to alleviate conflict, OPC management strategies should be taught during professional preparation and used early during transition to autonomous practice.
运动训练师（AT）面临组织 - 职业冲突（OPC），这种冲突通常围绕重返运动的决策。为了优先保障患者安全并建立健康的工作环境，必须缓解OPC，但很少有研究人员确定AT如何管理与利益相关者的冲突。
探讨中学环境中AT处理OPC的经历。
定性研究。
电话访谈。
16名AT（9名女性，7名男性；年龄 = 43±11岁；认证年限 = 17±9年；现任职位年限 = 9±6年）。
我们对电话访谈进行了数字录音，并请专业人员进行转录。数据饱和度指导了招募工作并达到了要求。为确保数据的严谨性和可信度，我们完成了基本的成员核对以及多分析师三角验证。我们使用解释性现象学方法分析定性数据。
出现了四个主题：有效沟通、职业关系、利益相关者教育和专业经验。参与者在与利益相关者互动时，通过频繁、开放和直接的有效沟通来管理OPC。当AT与利益相关者建立起以信任和尊重为核心的职业关系时，组织 - 职业冲突会减少。参与者将利益相关者教育作为管理OPC的主要策略，通过向利益相关者介绍受伤后的预后情况和重返运动的时间线，并为所做的决策提供理由。此外，经验年限是冲突的缓解因素，随着AT获得经验和信心，他们感受到的OPC减少。
参与者提出了各种人际关系发展策略，可用于管理OPC，特别是在开始新职位或与利益相关者建立融洽关系时。具体而言，通过有效沟通向各种利益相关者说明临床决策的原因，并建立基于相互尊重的牢固职业关系，有助于避免OPC。由于专业经验似乎可以缓解冲突，因此应在专业培训期间教授OPC管理策略，并在向自主执业过渡的早期使用。
