Gli effetti delle Lauree Magistrali delle Professioni Sanitarie: risultati di una revisione narrativa. The impact of master’s degrees in healthcare professions: a narrative review

The research aimed to summarize the studies conducted on the master’s degree in the context of Health Care Professions, documenting indicators of internal (e.g., knowledge acquired) and external (access to new positions) effectiveness. A review of the literature was conducted by accessing databases and grey literature. 13 primary studies emerged, mainly conducted in the first Class of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences. The key aspects explored to date were the usability of the qualification achieved, the educational and professional implications, the impact of the acquired knowledge and skills on the profession, as well as the learning expectations and satisfaction. To date, positive effects have been documented on both formal aspects (career development) and informal ones, such as the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and methodologies that the master’s degree offers graduates for practicing the profession, without necessarily resulting in a position upgrade. Other dimensions investigated were socio-demographic, professional, and the feasibility of pursuing the master’s degree, given that the majority of students work in healthcare settings. While the positive trend in the internal and external effectiveness of Master's Degrees is clear, further multi-center and multiclass studies using validated questionnaires are needed.