Ashley Goodman

Fulfillment of work-life balance from the organizational perspective: a case study.

CONTEXT Researchers studying work-life balance have examined policy development and implementation to create a family-friendly work environment from an individualistic perspective rather than from a cohort of employees working under the same supervisor. OBJECTIVE To investigate what factors influence work-life balance within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I clinical setting from the perspective of an athletic training staff. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING Web-based management system. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Eight athletic trainers (5 men, 3 women; age = 38 ± 7 years) in the NCAA Division I setting. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Participants responded to a series of questions by journaling their thoughts and experiences. We included data-source triangulation, multiple-analyst triangulation, and peer review to establish data credibility. We analyzed the data via a grounded theory approach. RESULTS Three themes emerged from the data. Family-oriented and supportive work environment was described as a workplace that fosters and encourages work-life balance through professionally and personally shared goals. Nonwork outlets included activities, such as exercise and personal hobbies, that provide time away from the role of the athletic trainer. Individualistic strategies reflected that although the athletic training staff must work together and support one another, each staff member must have his or her own personal strategies to manage personal and professional responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS The foundation for a successful work environment in the NCAA Division I clinical setting potentially can center on the management style of the supervisor, especially one who promotes teamwork among his or her staff members. Although a family-friendly work environment is necessary for work-life balance, each member of the athletic training staff must have personal strategies in place to fully achieve a balance.

Achieving Work-Life Balance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Setting, Part I: The Role of the Head Athletic Trainer

CONTEXT Supervisor support has been identified as key to the fulfillment of work-life balance for the athletic trainer (AT), yet limited literature exists on the perspectives of supervisors. OBJECTIVE To investigate how the head AT facilitates work-life balance among staff members within the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING Web-based management system. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 18 head ATs (13 men, 5 women; age = 44 ± 8 years, athletic training experience = 22 ± 7 years) volunteered for an asynchronous, Web-based interview. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Participants responded to a series of questions by journaling their thoughts and experiences. We included multiple-analyst triangulation, stakeholder checks, and peer review to establish data credibility. We analyzed the data via a general inductive approach. RESULTS Four prevailing themes emerged from the data: modeling work-life balance, encouraging disengagement from the AT role, cooperation and community workplace, and administrative support and understanding. CONCLUSIONS Head ATs at the Division I level recognized the need to promote work-life balance among their staffs. They not only were supportive of policies that promote work-life balance, including spending time away from the role of the AT and teamwork among staff members, but also modeled and practiced the strategies that they promoted.

Achieving Work-Life Balance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Setting, Part II: Perspectives From Head Athletic Trainers

CONTEXT Work-life balance has been examined at the collegiate level from multiple perspectives except for the athletic trainer (AT) serving in a managerial or leadership role. OBJECTIVE To investigate challenges and strategies used in achieving work-life balance from the perspective of the head AT at a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING Web-based management system. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 18 head ATs (13 men, 5 women; age = 44 ± 8 years, athletic training experience = 22 ± 7 years) volunteered. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Participants journaled their thoughts and experiences in response to a series of questions. To establish data credibility, we included multiple-analyst triangulation, stakeholder checks, and peer review. We used a general inductive approach to analyze the data. RESULTS Two higher-order themes emerged from our analysis of the data: organizational challenges and work-life balance strategies. The organizational challenges theme contained 2 lower-order themes: lack of autonomy and role demands. The work-life balance strategies theme contained 3 lower-order themes: prioritization of commitments, strategic boundary setting, and work-family integration. CONCLUSIONS Head ATs are susceptible to experiencing work-life imbalance just as ATs in nonsupervisory roles are. Although not avoidable, the causes are manageable. Head ATs are encouraged to prioritize their personal time, make efforts to spend time away from their demanding positions, and reduce the number of additional responsibilities that can impede time available to spend away from work.

Career and family aspirations of female athletic trainers employed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting.

CONTEXT Female athletic trainers (ATs) tend to depart the profession of athletic training after the age of 30. Factors influencing departure are theoretical. Professional demands, particularly at the collegiate level, have also been at the forefront of anecdotal discussion on departure factors. OBJECTIVE To understand the career and family intentions of female ATs employed in the collegiate setting. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Twenty-seven female ATs (single = 14, married with no children = 6, married with children = 7) employed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS All female ATs responded to a series of open-ended questions via reflective journaling. Data were analyzed via a general inductive approach. Trustworthiness was established by peer review, member interpretive review, and multiple-analyst triangulation. RESULTS Our participants indicated a strong desire to focus on family or to start a family as part of their personal aspirations. Professionally, many female ATs were unsure of their longevity within the Division I collegiate setting or even the profession itself, with 2 main themes emerging as factors influencing decisions to depart: family planning persistence and family planning departure. Six female ATs planned to depart the profession entirely because of conflicts with motherhood and the role of the AT. Only 3 female ATs indicated a professional goal of persisting at the Division I setting regardless of their family or marital status, citing their ability to maintain work-life balance because of support networks. The remaining 17 female ATs planned to make a setting change to balance the roles of motherhood and AT because the Division I setting was not conducive to parenting. CONCLUSIONS Our results substantiate those of previous researchers, which indicate the Division I setting can be problematic for female ATs and stimulate departure from the setting and even the profession.

Participants' Perspectives on the Feasibility of a Novel, Intensive, Task-Specific Intervention for Individuals With Chronic Stroke: A Qualitative Analysis

Background Evidence-based practice promotes patient-centered care, yet the majority of rehabilitative research fails to take patient perspectives into consideration. Qualitative research provides a unique opportunity for patients to express opinions and provide valuable insight on intervention processes. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a novel, intensive, task-specific intervention from the patients perspective. Design A phenomenological approach to qualitative inquiry was used. Methods Eight individuals with chronic stroke participated in an intensive intervention, 3 hours per day for 10 consecutive days. Participants were interviewed twice regarding their impressions of the therapy, and a focus group was conducted with participants and family members. Data analysis included an analytical thematic approach. Results Five major themes arose related to the feasibility of the intervention: (1) a manageable amount of fatigue; (2) a difficult, yet doable, level of intensity; (3) a disappointingly short therapy duration; (4) enjoyment of the intervention; and (5) muscle soreness. Conclusions The findings suggest that participants perceived this novel and intensive, task-specific intervention as a feasible therapeutic option for individuals with chronic stroke. Despite the fatigue and muscle soreness associated with intensive rehabilitation, participants frequently reported enjoying the therapy and stated disappointment with the short duration (10 days). Future research should include a feasibility trial of longer duration, as well as a qualitative analysis of the benefits associated with the intervention.

Exploring Summer Medical Care Within the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Setting: A Perspective From the Athletic Trainer

CONTEXT Over the last few decades, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has made changes related to the increase in sanctioned team activities during summer athletics. These changes may affect how athletic training services are provided. OBJECTIVE To investigate the methods by which athletic training departments of NCAA institutions manage expectations regarding athletic training services during the summer. DESIGN Mixed-methods qualitative and quantitative study. SETTING The NCAA Division I. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Twenty-two athletic trainers (13 men, 9 women) participated. All were employed full time within the NCAA Division I setting. Participants were 35 ± 8 years of age (range, 26-52 years), with 12 ± 7 years (range, 3-29 years) of athletic training experience. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS All participants completed a series of questions online that consisted of closed- (demographic and Likert-scale 5-point) and open-ended items that addressed the research questions. Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and phenomenologic analyses were completed with the data. Peer review and multiple-analyst triangulation established credibility. RESULTS Summer athletic training services included 3 primary mechanisms: individual medical care, shared medical care, or a combination of the 2. Participants reported working 40 ± 10 hours during the summer. Likert-item analysis showed that participants were moderately satisfied with their summer medical care structure (3.3 ± 1.0) and with the flexibility of summer schedules (3.0 ± 1.2). Yet the qualitative analysis revealed that perceptions of summer medical care were more positive for shared-care participants than for individual- or combination-care participants. The perceived effect on the athletic trainer included increased workload and expectations and a negative influence on work-life balance, particularly in terms of decreased schedule flexibility and opportunities for rejuvenation. For many, the summer season mimicked the hours, workload, and expectations of the nontraditional season. CONCLUSIONS The NCAA rule changes and medical care expectations affected the summer workload of athletic trainers, but job sharing seemed to help them manage conflict associated with providing summer athletic training services.

National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Facilitating Work-Life Balance in Athletic Training Practice Settings

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the concept of work-life balance and those factors that influence it and to provide recommendations to facilitate work-life balance in athletic training practice settings. To present the athletic trainer with information regarding work-life balance, including those factors that negatively and positively affect it within the profession. BACKGROUND: Concerns for work-life balance have been growing within the health care sector, especially in athletic training, as it is continuously linked to professional commitment, burnout, job satisfaction, and career longevity. The term work-life balance reflects those practices used to facilitate the successful fulfillment of the responsibilities associated with all roles one may assume, including those of a parent, spouse, partner, friend, and employee. A host of organizational and individual factors (eg, hours worked, travel demands, flexibility of work schedules, relationship status, family values) negatively influence the fulfillment of work-life balance for the athletic trainer, but practical strategies are available to help improve work-life balance, regardless of the practice setting. RECOMMENDATIONS: This position statement is charged with distributing information on work-life balance for athletic trainers working in a variety of employment settings. Recommendations include a blend of organizational and personal strategies designed to promote work-life balance. Establishing work-life balance requires organizations to have formal policies that are supported at the departmental and personal level, in addition to informal policies that reflect the organizational climate of the workplace. Individuals are also encouraged to consider their needs and responsibilities in order to determine which personal strategies will aid them in attaining work-life balance.

An Examination of Relationships Among Resiliency, Hardiness, Affectivity, and Work-Life Balance in Collegiate Athletic Trainers

CONTEXT: A multilevel model has been used to describe the complex nature of work-life balance in sport organizations. Organizational aspects such as work scheduling, hours worked, job demands, and decreased perceived value have been reported as factors that can positively or negatively affect work-life balance. However, the individual factors that contribute to this balance have not been well studied. OBJECTIVE: To better understand the individual factors (emotional stability and coping) that may facilitate or inhibit work-life balance among athletic trainers (ATs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey. SETTING: National Collegiate Athletic Association athletic training setting. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:  A total of 423 (193 men, 230 women) ATs employed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association setting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):  Data were collected via a Web-based survey instrument consisting of demographic and Likert-scale questions related to resiliency, hardiness, affectivity, work-family conflict (WFC), and work-family enrichment (WFE). Likert responses were summed and demographic information was analyzed for frequency and distribution. Independent t tests, analysis of variance, and Spearman correlations were calculated to evaluate the relationships among variables. RESULTS: Participants exhibited moderate hardiness scores of 3.9 ± 4.0 (range, -9 to 15). Positive affectivity was weakly negatively correlated with WFC ( r = -0.212, P < .001) and moderately positively correlated with WFE ( r = 0.448, P < .001). Resiliency was weakly negatively correlated with WFC ( r = -0.25, P < .001) and weakly positively correlated with WFE ( r = 0.228, P < .001). Additionally, individuals with less than 10 years of experience had lower positive affectivity scores than those with more than 10 years of experience. Men scored higher than women only in resiliency. CONCLUSIONS: Collegiate ATs demonstrated moderate levels of coping behaviors that allow them to manage their personal and professional lives. Athletic trainers with more years of experience displayed a more positive affect.