Faculty Perceptions of Readiness to Implement Interprofessional Education in Athletic Training

As the athletic training profession advances, master’s degree accreditation standards aim to position athletic trainers as key players on interprofessional healthcare teams. Interprofessional education standards were recently introduced to academic leaders as key elements in the professional healthcare education of athletic trainers. While the current standards reflect essential skills for entry-level clinicians, faculty instructing these elements may require additional training.

The objective of this study was to explore athletic training educators’ perceptions of interprofessional education and to examine perceived barriers related to the implementation of IPE in athletic training curricula. The results indicated that differences exist in faculty readiness to implement IPE based on faculty rank or role, years of teaching experience, prior experience and skill level using IPE, and geographical location of the athletic training program within the institution.

Together, the findings suggest that IPE integration should include initiatives that provide administrative support, delineated leadership roles, formal IP training, and efforts for bringing healthcare disciplines in closer physical proximity on their campuses. This research is appropriate for the Nexus Summit's theme of Quality IPE and Accreditation as it examines faculty readiness to implement interprofessional education (IPE) that aligns with mandated professional education standards in the field of Athletic Training. It is of special interest to the health professions community as all too often, faculty preparedness is neither assessed nor addressed prior to implementing new professional standards; it is an assumption that all faculty are prepared to facilitate IPE. Additionally, this is of immediate relevance for interprofessional education of practitioners and applies across the healthcare education spectrum.