Student perceptions of athletic training preceptor traits and their effects on board of certification examination outcomes

This study explored the perceptions Athletic Training Students' harbored of the traits of preceptors they have been assigned. The preceptor characteristics examined in this study were nurturing, contemplative, consolidative, management, inspirational, and rigorous. These perceived traits of preceptors were then compared to Athletic Training Programs who were compliant and non-compliant with CAATE Standard 11 for Professional Programs. The study investigated whether there would be a significant difference in any of the trait characteristics between programs in compliance and non-compliance with Standard 11. This was a quantitative study in which data were collected via Preceptor Effectiveness Survey. The data were analyzed through SPSS 23 using descriptive statistics and MANOVA. The MANOVA failed to result in a significant multivariate effect, however, the univariate results indicated a significant difference between programs (p less than.05) for the "rigorous" trait, F(1, 105) = 7.210, p = 0.008. Overall, noncompliant programs presented lower mean scores on all traits when compared to compliant schools. The study can offer evidence for effective preceptor traits in programs with successful Board of Certification (BOC) outcomes. This could be utilized to improve training, recruitment, hiring, establishing appropriate student-preceptor ratios to individual preceptors, and enhancing the overall student clinical experience.