Undergraduate health professions students' perceptions of athletic training students before and after an interprofessional case study program.

ABSTRACT

Students pursuing careers in health professions may initially approach their training with preconceived ideas and perceptions of those who practice different health-related careers. Little research has been conducted on athletic training students and professional stereotypes or athletic training students and interprofessional education in general. Because interprofessional education may provide some positive effects on stereotypes, the goal of this study was to measure undergraduate health professions student stereotypes of athletic training students before and after an interprofessional case study program. Undergraduate nursing and public health interprofessional case study program participants assessed various relational and intrapersonal capabilities for their own professions and the athletic training profession, pre-post-program. For nursing student participants with athletic training students on their team, perceptions of their own profession and the athletic training profession significantly (p <.05) increased as compared to those with no athletic training student on their team. For public health student participants, although scores increased, no significant differences were found. Interprofessional collaborative experiences may decrease negative stereotypes of other professions, including athletic training.