Hands-on clinical education is utilized in athletic training to practice didactic information learned by the athletic training students, and the clinical environment is critical to the success of the athletic training student as they enter profession practice after graduation and passing the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification examination. The skills, behaviors, and attitudes of the clinical preceptors, along with the physical presence and cooperation of and communication with the program directors, can positively enhance the learning environment of the athletic training students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical presence, communication, and cooperation between athletic training program directors and clinical preceptors. A survey instrument, submitted to 11 institutions that currently offer an undergraduate degree in athletic training within the Big 12 conference and the three Regent institutions within the state of Iowa, was utilized for the study. A survey was e-mailed to athletic training program directors at the identified institutions to be forwarded to the institution’s clinical preceptors. The survey was sent via Qualtrics to an estimated 100 clinical preceptors, and 29 responses were used in the analysis, representing a 29% rate of return. Significant results were found for the physical presence, communication, and cooperation between the program director and clinical preceptors who held a formal teaching role within the athletic training program as well as clinical preceptors who supervised a higher number athletic training students in the clinical setting.