title: Outcome measures for traditional and accelerated nursing graduates: an integrative literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to examine research studies that compared outcome measures of students/graduates of traditional and accelerated BSN programs.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Accelerated postgraduate baccalaureate nursing programs are popular. It is important to compare outcome measures and explore equivalence between traditional and accelerated programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peer-reviewed research articles published within the last six years were identified in ERIC, CINAHL, and MEDLINE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven research studies involving 1,159 traditional students and 576 accelerated students were included in this review.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings indicate that although there were some statistically significant differences in outcomes between groups, research methodologies used in several of the studies were not ideal. Future research needs to be geared toward practice pattern differences between the two groups as well as research exploring evaluation methods.
authors.forename: Leslie K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mullen
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000379:methods*