Athletic Training Current Areas of Research

Current Areas of Research

The faculty members overseeing the program have a strong record of mentoring graduate and undergraduate student research. The faculty has an established record of research focused on understanding and developing effective strategies toward improving athletic training education and clinical practice. In addition, the faculty have established a record of research investigating factors that influence lower extremity function and injury risk and are active members of the Human Biomechanics and Physiology Research Laboratory, which serves as the primary research facility for the Institute for Human Health and Sport Science Research at High Point University.

The current areas of research include (refer to faculty web pages for more information on areas of specific research):

  • The role of clinical preceptors in transition to clinical practice issues involving novice certified athletic trainers.
  • The influence of a standard patient case on increasing self-efficacy of athletic training students performing a general medical evaluation.
  • Identifying anatomical, biomechanical, and neuromuscular factors that increase the risk of lower extremity athletic injuries in adolescent athletes.

HPU NEWS & MEDIA Press Releases

Two Professors Present at National Athletic Trainers’ Conference in St. Louis

HIGH POINT, N.C., July 30, 2012 – Two professors at High Point University – Dr. Nancy Groh, assistant professor of athletic training, and Dr. Jolene Henning, associate professor and chair of the Department of Athletic Training – recently presented research at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Conference in St. Louis.

Their talks were sponsored by the NATA Professional Education Committee and were part of a two hour session that focused on facilitating athletic training student autonomy and improving transition to clinical practice.

Groh, who is the clinical education coordinator at HPU and works one-on-one with clinical preceptors to enhance their supervision of athletic training students during their field experiences, presented “An Effective Preceptor Intervention Strategy to Facilitate Student Autonomy.”

Groh says her presentation was a synopsis of her dissertation research that illustrated how structured observation and clinical conferencing can improve preceptor’s teaching and supervision of athletic training students in the clinical environment.

Henning, who serves as the program director of the CAATE accredited athletic training education program at HPU and oversees didactic education, presented “The One Minute Preceptor.”

Henning says her presentation was designed to provide athletic training clinical preceptors with a time efficient tool for teaching students in a busy clinical environment that has a high patient load.

The professors’ research is helping HPU to be on the leading edge of providing exceptional clinical education experiences for athletic training students as future healthcare providers.

“The majority of healthcare professionals experience challenges making the transition from being a highly supervised student during their professional education to an autonomous healthcare provider in clinical practice,” Henning says. “Our work is helping to position the athletic training profession as a leader in tackling transition to clinical practice issues that are pervasive in health care education.”

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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
phaynes@highpoint.edu