Perspectives of a Mental Health Emergency Standardized Patient Encounter: A Follow-Up Interview of Athletic Trainers

Context Although catastrophic injuries are rare, athletic trainers must be ready for emergencies. It is unknown how athletic training students (ATSs) are prepared for postcritical incident management. Objective To explore the perceived availability and helpfulness of resources available to ATSs after critical incidents. Design Qualitative. Setting Individual interviews. Patients or Other Participants Eleven current ATSs and/or recent graduates (5 women, 4 men, and 2 prefer to not share; age = 24 ± 4 years) who experienced a critical incident during clinical education. Data Collection and Analysis We used criterion sampling for recruiting participants in multiple modes until data saturation was achieved. Participants completed demographic surveys and participated in semistructured interviews regarding their involvement, resources available after the incident, and perceived helpfulness of the resources. All transcripts were deidentified and coded by a 3-person team following the consensual qualitative research tradition. Member checking, triangulation, external auditing, and peer discussion among researchers established credibility and trustworthiness for the analysis. Results Three domains emerged strategies acquired before the incident, management during the incident, and postincident regulation of a review of the resources that had been available. In strategies acquired before the incident, participants described that program preparation, previous personal/clinical experiences, and self-regulating mental health strategies all assisted in managing emotions after the incident. During the incident and the time immediately after, participants discussed managing emotions with formal debriefing, sound policies and procedures, and communication with athletic training faculty and peers. After the incident, some noted that they had an abundance of resources available to them during the critical incident, whereas others noted feeling isolated. Conclusions ATSs have resources available to them and an awareness of the impact critical incidents have on mental well-being. They relied on convenient coping mechanisms (eg, peers, preceptors, or faculty debrief) rather than formal counseling. Athletic training programs should provide students with resources and support before and after incidents.

Athletic Training Students’ Preparation and Perception of Resources Available to Them Following a Critical Incident

Wonch,

Mansell,

Winkelmann

et al. 2023

Athletic Training Students’ Mental Health Recognition and Referral Skills, Part 2: Perceptions of Pedagogical Strategies

Anderson,

Pitney,

Armstrong

et al. 2023

Context The increased prevalence of mental health conditions and the use of telehealth for patient care have exposed gaps in athletic training professional and continuing education. Here, we explore athletic training students’ perceptions of virtual pedagogical strategies for the delivery and application of concepts related to mental health recognition and referral, which may help educators determine best practices. Objective To examine students’ experiences and perceptions of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, case-based learning, and standardized patient encounters. Design Qualitative portion of a sequential, explanatory mixed-methods design. Setting Individual interviews via video conference. Patients or Other Participants A convenience sample of graduate athletic training students from Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited professional athletic training programs who participated in the MHFA training and secondary encounters were recruited. Twenty-two participants (11 from each intervention group; 45.5% male, 54.5% female; age = 24.59 ± 2.3) were interviewed. Data Collection and Analysis Interviews were recorded using Zoom and then transcribed. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven method was used to analyze the data to determine emergent themes. Strategies to enhance trustworthiness included an audit trail, member checks, and peer debriefing. Results Five higher order themes emerged from the interview data, as follows: (1) perceived value of MHFA training, (2) engaged learning and facilitated feedback, (3) capability, (4) comfort and confidence, and (5) authenticity. These themes were organized into the following 3 overarching dimensions: knowledge, skills, and pedagogy. Participants described how the opportunity to apply their knowledge and practice their skills with an athletic training-specific scenario helped them feel more equipped for future patient care. Conclusions Regardless of simulation strategy, the opportunity to practice influenced participants’ knowledge and feelings of confidence and capability. The MHFA training and simulated encounters were engaging techniques that incorporated feedback and provided elements of authentic patient interaction.

Standardized Patient Encounter to Enhance Care to LGBTQIA+ Patients

Snyder,

Singleton,

Marinaro

et al. 2024

Context Athletic trainers provide care for a variety of patients with diverse backgrounds, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, other diverse sexualities, other gender identities, or other gender expressions (LGBTQIA+) community. Learners who gain experience with patients who identify as LBGTQIA+ should be better prepared clinicians. Objective The purpose of this paper is to describe a standardized patient (SP) experience for a patient who is gay and concerned about a sexually transmitted infection after a conversation with a previous partner. Background Patients who identify as LGBTQIA+ report substandard care and have poor health care experiences. Standardized patients are used in athletic training education as a method to teach and assess skills and can be used to improve the care that learners provide to patients who identify as gay. Educational Advantage Education drives clinical practice, and incorporating SP cases in which learners must provide care for a patient who is gay will help the learners provide better inclusive patient-centered care as a clinician. Conclusions Faculty may consider using a SP encounter to better prepare learners to provide care for a patient who is gay.