Table 2 Characteristics of included studies

Barnhill et al. [49]

Investigate impact on clinical practice

New Zealand

Nursing

Quantitative: descriptive

Postal survey

Registered nurses (n = 27) / Senior nurses (manager & educator) (n = 23) / RR = 47.7%

One year after

Baron et al. [35]

Investigate effects on career development

UK

General Practice

Quantitative: Descriptive

Questionnaire with open ended questions

GP graduates from 1997 to 2003 / A total of 150 questionnaires were sent out and 81 were returned (RR = 54%) / Total population is not stated

Between 2 and 6 years

Bearn and Chadwick [37]

Evaluate students’ experiences

UK

Orthodontic

Qualitative

Focus groups and semi-structured interviews

12 postgraduate students / First cohort of the programme

Directly after

Calvert and Britten [33]

Calvert and Britten [34]

Exploring outcomes on professional and personal development

UK

General Practice

Qualitative

Free writing feedback

71 of 76 graduates from the first 9 cohorts (RR = 93%)

Unclear

Chaboyer and Retsas [38]

Evaluate programme outcomes

Australia

Nursing

Mixed: concurrent

Questionnaires consisted of open- and closed-ended questions

44 graduates out of 50 (88%) in 1st survey

37 graduates in second survey (77%) of the 1994 cohort Stakeholder

Directly after

Conneeley [39]

Evaluate students’ experiences, perceived benefits and impact on career.

UK

Occupational Therapy

Qualitative: Phenomenology

Focus group

Six students: 4 OT and 2 PT

[total programme cohort]

Directly after

Constantine and Carpenter [36]

Explore practitioners’ development

UK

Physiotherapy

Qualitative: Phenomenology

Semi-structured phone interview

7 out of 35 invited alumni

Total population is not stated – graduates from other programmes have been included

Unclear

Cragg and Andrusyszyn [63]

Cragg and Andrusyszyn [59]

Identify perceived changes at personal, practice, and attitudinal levels

Canada

Nursing

Qualitative: descriptive

Semi-structured Face-to-face or telephone interviews

22 graduates who completed programs from 2000 to 2003

Total population: not stated

Directly after

Drennan [54]

Evaluate career and academic development

Ireland

Nursing

Quantitative: descriptive

Cross-sectional postal survey

220 out of 322 approached graduated between 2000 and 2005

(RR = 68%)

between 2 and 6 years

Drennan [48]

Measure critical thinking ability

Ireland

Nursing

Quantitative: cross sectional analytic

Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal tool administered to two groups

Two cohorts:

83 of 110 students (75%) commencing MSc in Nursing programmes.

& 140 of 222 students (63%) who had a MSc degree in Nursing between 2003 and 2007

Unclear

Drennan [56]

Evaluate graduates’ ability to change practice

Ireland

Nursing

Quantitative: cross-sectional survey

Retrospective pre-test design

140 of 222 students (63%) who had a MSc degree in Nursing

Directly after

Gerstel et al. [63]

Evaluate graduates’ competencies and career development

International

Public Health

Quantitative:

Online survey

177 of 327 invited alumni

(RR = 54%)

between 2 and 6 years

Green et al. [6]

Identify the influence on career development

UK

Physiotherapy

Quantitative: descriptive

Qualitative: descriptive

Postal survey & Focus group

Graduates from the MSc MSK PT programmes from 1994 to 2005

48 of 77 (RR = 62.3%)

Unclear

Perry et al. [41]

Explore impact on professional and personal development

UK

Physiotherapy

Qualitative: atheoretical pragmatic utilised within an interpretivist paradigm

Focus group

Seven graduates out of 11 agreed to take part. Pooled form respondent of Green et al. (2008)

Unclear

Le et al. [62]

Explore the relevance and impact on work

Vietnam

Public Health

Quantitative: descriptive

Qualitative: descriptive

Postal survey Interviews

148 graduates out of the total of 187

(RR = 79.1%)

Unclear

LeCount [51]

Describe programme, inception, implementation, and outcomes.

USA

Nursing Geriatrics

Quantitative: descriptive

Postal survey

16 of 20 contacted (RR = 80%) / Total population: 30 graduates

Directly after

Murray et al. [61]

Analyse graduates’ satisfaction and explore the perceived impact.

USA

Interdisciplinary

Quantitative: descriptive

Postal questionnaire

53 of 85 graduates contacted / (RR = 62%)

Total population: 96 graduates between 1982 and 1998 / 29 of 37 contacted employers (RR = 78%)

Unclear

Nicolson et al. [42]

Identify educational and working experiences

UK

Nursing

Mixed Methods: Sequential

Focus group that informed the Postal questionnaire & Semi-structured telephone interviews

Five cohorts of graduates

Programme team nursing and medical staff at one NICU 37 questionnaires (RR = 71.2%)

Unclear

Pelletier et al. [55]

Investigate effects on practice and career

Australia

Nursing

Quantitative: descriptive

Postal questionnaire

40 of 55 from 1991 cohort. RR = 72%

Total population: not clear

Directly after

Pelletier et al. [52]

Investigate the impact on patient care

Australia

Nursing

Quantitative: descriptive

Postal questionnaire

236 from Pelletier et al., (1998) / retention rate of 58% / Five cohorts

Between 2 and 6 years

Pelletier et al. [66]

Report motivators and barriers to career change

Australia

Nursing

Quantitative: Longitudinal descriptive and co-relational

Postal questionnaire

151 of 236 in Pelletier et al., (2003)

Between 7 and 10 years

Petty et al. [40]

Petty et al. [58]

Describe impact clinical practice

Develop an explanatory theory of the learning transition

UK

Physiotherapy

Qualitative: grounded theory. Theory-seeking case study

Semi-structured interviews

11 alumni agreed of 35 purposefully selected

Between 2 and 6 years

Spence [45]

Spence [46]

Evaluate the clinical impact

New Zealand

Nursing

Qualitative: descriptive

Loose-structured interviews

12 graduates of a clinically focused programme.

8 co-worker and/or employer

Unclear

Spencer [43]

Examine impact on professional practice

UK

Nursing midwives and health visitors

Qualitative: Phenomenology

Semi-structured interviews

12 qualified nurses, midwives and health visitors since its inception in 1998

Unclear

Stark [60]

Investigate differences in role choices, role flexibility, and practice settings

USA

Nursing

Quantitative: cross-sectional, comparative study

Postal survey: self-report Role Choices, Role Flexibility, and Practice Settings Survey

406 of 1086 potential (RR = 37.4%)

Final completed questionnaires: 285

Power analysis: 165 required

Unclear

Stathopoulos and Harrison [44]

Explore impact on professional practice

UK

Physiotherapy

Qualitative: Phenomenology

Focus group

5 of 7 graduates agreed to participate.

Working in clinical setting

Between 2 and 6 years

Tsimtsiou et al. [50]

Assess benefits on professional and career development

UK

General Practice

Mixed

Postal questionnaire that include free writing

Graduates from 1997 until 2008

50 of 66 (RR = 76%)

Unclear

Whyte et al. [47]

Evaluate the professional relevance and the personal and career growth

UK

Nursing

Quantitative: descriptive

A self-administered questionnaire

Graduates from 1991 to 1994

109 of 190 posted questionnaire (RR = 57%)

Unclear

Wildman et al. [53]

Evaluate the effect on clinical practice.

UK

Nursing

Mixed

Postal questionnaire

The first seven cohorts of the programme (n:169)

(RR = 66.8% (113))

Unclear

Zahran [65]

Explore motivational factors and explore perceived impact on practice

Jordan

Nursing

Qualitative: Ethnography

Semi-structured interviews

44 M-Level qualified nurses

nurse educationalists

clinical nurse supervisors

Unclear

Zwanikken et al. [57]

Examine the influence on performance at the workplace, and professional contribution to society

International

Public Health

Quantitative: descriptive

Self-administered questionnaire

n = 445 RR = 37.5%

Unclear