Abstract

Context: Forming a professional identity is a process by which an individual achieves an awareness of his or her own self-concept in the context of the profession. Identity in relation to an individual's profession includes the ability to articulate one's role as a professional and professional philosophy. Professional identity has been studied extensively in other fields, but currently no professional identity scales have been validated within the athletic training profession. Objective: To validate the Professional Identity and Values Scale (PIVS) among an athletic trainer population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Web-based questionnaire. Patients or Other Participants:  Athletic trainers employed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, II, III, or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics colleges or universities (n = 299, 56.5% female, 43.5% male). The average age of the participants was 33.6 ± 8.3 years, and they had 10.3 ± 7.6 years of experience. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and the 32-item PIVS. The variables included demographics and the PIVS (Professional Orientation and Values subscale [18 items] and the Professional Development subscale [14 items]). Results: Exploratory factor analysis reduced the survey from 32 to 20 items and revealed 6 factors. Three factors emerged from the Professional Development subscale and emphasized professional insecurities during the early career stages, the importance of mentors during the intermediate stages, and self-confidence and awareness during the later stages of professional development. An additional 3 factors emerged from the Professional Orientation and Values subscale: (1) patient care and advocacy, (2) professional engagement and collaboration, and (3) personal wellness and values. A Cronbach α of 0.80 indicated good internal consistency. Conclusions: A modified PIVS is a valid and reliable measure of professional identity among athletic trainers employed in the collegiate setting.