Athletic Training Student and Student Aide Clinical Task Allowance in the Secondary School Setting

Purpose: Athletic training student aides (SA) are minors in high school that participate in an athletic training experience under the supervision of secondary school athletic trainers (SSAT). The NATA published an official statement on the proper supervision of SAs related to task allowance. As SSATs may also supervise athletic training students (ATSs), it is important to understand the differences in both. Therefore, the objective was to explore the training, task allowance, and perspectives of SAs and ATSs by SSATs during clinical experiences. Methods: We used a cross-sectional, web-based survey for this study. SSATs (n=3,567) from the ATLAS database were recruited, and 614 participants (age=39 +/- 11years, years credentialed=12 +/- 9years) completed the study. An online survey was developed to reflect the NATA official statement for task allowance and supervision of SAs and ATSs. Dependent variables included requirements and task allowance of the SA and ATS based on supervision (direct, autonomous, and restricted), and the personal perceptions from SSATs. Results: 76.5% of SSATs reported having SAs involved in their clinical practice. Less than 50% of SSATs implemented recommended trainings related to emergency preparedness, first aid, and patient privacy. When exploring task allowance, most SSATs were following best practice guidelines for job-related tasks. Additionally, SSATs were allowing ATSs to perform more tasks autonomously as compared to SAs. Conclusions: SSATs are mostly following best practice recommendations for task allowance, whereby they are providing supervision to SAs in the appropriate areas and not allowing certain duties. However, 100% compliance was not met, thus increasing risks to patients and the profession. SSATs should improve training and preparedness for the SAs involved in their clinical practice Additionally, SSATs are allowing ATSs to perform job-related tasks autonomously or with directed supervision during clinical experiences with the exception of administrative tasks and autonomous clinical-decision making.