Abstract

Objective: To determine if undergraduate athletic training students enrolled in an athletic training education program (ATEP) and participating in a clinical assignment have burnout and if so, the possible causes.

Design and Setting: All undergraduate athletic training students enrolled in a clinical education course were surveyed twice in an eight week period. The surveys were given during the fourth week and the twelfth week of the winter 2006 semester. As part of the survey, each participant also answered eight demographic/status questions for correlation purposes.

Subjects: Fifty-one undergraduate athletic training students in a western United States university's accredited ATEP served as subjects for this study.

Measurements: Data was analyzed using analysis of covariance with categorical independent variables and continuous covariants. Emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) were scored in accordance with the MBI-HSS. Post hoc testing was done when interactions/effects were significant at the p = .05 level. Dependent variables consisted of the three subsets of burnout (EE, DP, and PA).

Results: Overall mean scores demonstrated a moderate level (17.0) of EE, low levels (5.7) of DP, and moderate level (38.0) of PA. Fourth (+) semester students reported high DP levels (13.3) and high levels of EE (30.9). Semester effect (p = pre- 0.0001; post- 0.007), marital/serious relationship status by gender interaction (p = pre- 0.008; post- 0.02) and semester by gender interaction (p = pre- 0.0017; post- 0.005) all had an effect on EE for both testing times. For DP, marital/serious relationship status by semester interaction (p = pre- 0.0121; post- 0.003), semester (p = pre- 0.0001; post- 0.0003), and semester by gender interaction (p = pre- 0.0001; post- 0.0001) were significant interactions/effects for both pre and post-tests.

Conclusions: This study showed that with moderate PA, low DP, and moderate EE undergraduate athletic training students, demonstrated a moderate degree of burnout from their clinical assignments. The expectations of the ATEP appear to have a cumulative effect which is evidenced in the fourth (+) semester showing a high/average degree of burnout.

Degree

College and Department

Life Sciences; Exercise Sciences

Rights

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