title: Formal and informal continuing education activities and athletic training professional practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continuing education (CE) is intended to promote professional growth and, ultimately, to enhance professional practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine certified athletic trainers' participation in formal (ie, approved for CE credit) and informal (ie, not approved for CE credit) CE activities and the perceived effect these activities have on professional practice with regard to improving knowledge, clinical skills and abilities, attitudes toward patient care, and patient care itself.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Athletic training practice settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of a geographic, stratified random sample of 1000 athletic trainers, 427 (42.7%) completed the survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Survey of Formal and Informal Athletic Training Continuing Education Activities was developed and administered electronically. The survey consisted of demographic characteristics and Likert-scale items regarding CE participation and perceived effect of CE on professional practice. Internal consistency of survey items was determined using the Cronbach alpha (alpha = 0.945). Descriptive statistics were computed for all items. An analysis of variance and dependent t tests were calculated to determine differences among respondents' demographic characteristics and their participation in, and perceived effect of, CE activities. The alpha level was set at .05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents completed more informal CE activities than formal CE activities. Participation in informal CE activities included reading athletic training journals (75.4%), whereas formal CE activities included attending a Board of Certification-approved workshop, seminar, or professional conference not conducted by the National Athletic Trainers' Association or affiliates or committees (75.6%). Informal CE activities were perceived to improve clinical skills or abilities and attitudes toward patient care. Formal CE activities were perceived to enhance knowledge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More respondents completed informal CE activities than formal CE activities. Both formal and informal CE activities were perceived to enhance athletic training professional practice. Informal CE activities should be explored and considered for CE credit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Georgia College & State University, Campus Box 112, Milledgeville, GA 31061, USA. kirk.armstrong@gcsu.edu
authors.forename: Kirk J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Weidner
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005791:Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D010465:Perception; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D011364:Professional Practice; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000193:education*; D013192:Staff Development; D014481:United States
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2005 Mar-Apr;36(2):77-83
references.pmid: 15835583
references.citation: J Athl Train. 2002 Sep;37(3):286-292
references.pmid: 12937587
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2000 Spring;20(2):76-84
references.pmid: 11232223
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2007 Oct;27(7):723-30
references.pmid: 17126454
references.citation: Med Educ Online. 2004 Dec;9(1):4346
references.pmid: 28253111
references.citation: J Athl Train. 2001 Dec;36(4):388-395
references.pmid: 12937481
references.citation: Am J Occup Ther. 2001 Jul-Aug;55(4):449-54
references.pmid: 11723990
references.citation: Med Teach. 2004 Mar;26(2):184-6
references.pmid: 15203529
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2000 Mar-Apr;31(2):59-62
references.pmid: 11051955
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2003 Jul-Aug;34(4):184-8
references.pmid: 12887230
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2002 Jan-Feb;33(1):24-32
references.pmid: 15887357
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2004 Summer;24(3):139-44
references.pmid: 15490545
references.citation: Acad Med. 2006 Jul;81(7):655-60
references.pmid: 16799293
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2006 Aug;55(4):449-56
references.pmid: 16866840
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2007 Winter;27(1):16-27
references.pmid: 17385741
references.citation: JONAS Healthc Law Ethics Regul. 2004 Jan-Mar;6(1):22-31
references.pmid: 15206173
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2003 Spring;23 Suppl 1:S10-8
references.pmid: 14666829
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2004 Spring;24(2):68-75
references.pmid: 15279131
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2001 May-Jun;32(3):126-32
references.pmid: 11868704
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2003 Summer;23(3):162-7
references.pmid: 14528787
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2000 Summer;20(3):171-5
references.pmid: 11232253
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2004 Winter;24(1):31-8
references.pmid: 15069910
references.citation: Phys Ther. 2007 Aug;87(8):1023-36
references.pmid: 17553921
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2003 Sep-Oct;34(5):205-12; quiz 234-5
references.pmid: 14518636
references.citation: Arch Surg. 2005 Mar;140(3):264-9
references.pmid: 15781790
references.citation: Acad Med. 2000 Dec;75(12):1167-72
references.pmid: 11112712
references.citation: J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2000 Spring;20(2):106-19
references.pmid: 11232219
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 1995 Mar;21(3):551-60
references.pmid: 7745211