The positive impact over time of Master’s level education on nurses’ utilization of nursing research-related tasks in clinical practice – A longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Objective: To describe and compare the development of Master of Science in Nursing graduates’ utilization and improvement of nursing research-related tasks and knowledge in daily clinical practice, six months and twelve months after graduation.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of 65 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) graduates from a Danish university was conducted from 2016 to 2017. Data were collected six and twelve months after graduation using a purposive-constructed questionnaire based on four validated questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and STATA software (12.0).

Results: The overall results of the longitudinal cohort study showed a positive impact 12 months after graduation on the MSN graduates’ development and improvement of their utilization of nursing research-related tasks and knowledge in clinical practice. The results also showed a development in the MSN graduates’ employment in academic positions, as well as an increase in the number of hours per week spent on nursing research-related tasks.

Conclusions: Providing nurses with Master’s level knowledge and skills can make a difference for them in clinical practice. However, knowledge is still needed on how the MSN qualification can have an impact on patient care: Future research must focus on practical observations of how the Msn graduates use their academic knowledge and skills to improve patient care, using specific outcomes and observable criteria.