A nursing journal club was started for mental health nurses to help disseminate evidence-based research findings. Due to scheduling difficulties with in-person meetings, an online hybrid journal club model was implemented using Padlet and Microsoft Teams. A survey found that nurses were interested but lacked time and confidence in critical appraisal. The hybrid model provided flexible access and support for critical appraisal skills. After one year, over 100 nurses had participated across 12 sessions. While challenges remain around securing time and technology barriers, the hybrid nursing journal club was a success in connecting research to practice.

1. Nursing Journal Club
(NJC)
for Mental Health Nurses
Liis Cotter, Librarian, AMHS Cork
CONUL Teaching and Learning Seminar 2022

2. Idea & Background
 Staff nurses could not attend MDT
journal club.
 No “tools down” time
 4 shifts in one week (acute)
 Numerous locations
 Covid-19
 Needed for Evidence-Based Practice

3. My homework
1. Talk to staff informally
2. Gather support from management
3. Lit review
4. Contact peers to learn from their experience
5. Baseline survey
6. Choose software

4. The Team(s)
Steering group (“the Team”)
 5 meetings to tie ideas to policy and practice
Stakeholder group (“the Pilot”)
 initial discussions and feedback focus group

5. Lit Review +
Contacts
What did I want to find out:
What is the best practice?
What type of nursing journal clubs are there?
How to measure JC’s effectiveness?
Challenges and opportunities
Contacting peers:
HSLG email list
UK Knowledge Mobilization Forum

6. Survey
Get baseline & re-run in 18 months!
 Staff experience
 Interest in NJC
 Expectations
 What matters?
 Barriers

7. Survey results (64/417)
• 80% never taken part of JC
• 60% were interested in joining NJC (33% needed more information)
• 78% learn about new clinical developments (become more active in
collaborative learning, develop leadership and presentation skills,
broadening professional networks), 23% interested in obtaining a basic
understanding of research (gaining competence in research skills, learn
critical appraisal)
• 76% safe learning environment & 71% equal access to all nursing staff,
30% be able to participate in the designing and running of the NJC
• 73% lack of time, 37% too shy to preset, 20% too nervous to take
part in discussions, 10% lack of access to ICT
Experience
Interest
Expectation
Importance
Barriers

8. Survey results
interpretation
So what do we need?
• Private online meetings
• Multiple options for access and interaction
• NJC participants need to be supported re tech
and appraisal
• Start from zero and learn together

9. Hybrid JC > Padlet
• Mobile app facility to allow
more flexible access.
• Secure, read/write access,
numerous interaction options.
• Helps to share articles/presentations, critical appraisal tools,
presentations rota, reportin guidelines, guidance videos.
• It allows members to watch recorded presentations and
leave comments/questions.
1 2

10. Critical Appraisal
Tailored approach
Kader Parahoo’s model
Purpose: guidance v necessity

11. So… did it work?!
Since Sep 2021: members – 48, sessions - 12, overall participation – 132
The little “wins”:
11 speakers
MS Teams
Catch-up facility
Critical appraisal tool
NMBI approval for CEUs
Call from prison
Challenges:
• Securing time for staff nurses in
acute setting
• Nursing shyness
• ICT still a barrier for some
• MS Teams (accounts)
• Padlet participation record

12. Literature
Aronson, J. K. (2017). Journal Clubs: 2. Why and how to run them and how to publish them. Evidence Based Medicine, 22(6), 232-
234.
Deenadayalan, Y., Grimmer-Somers, K., Prior, M., & Kumar, S. (2008). How to run an effective journal club: a systematic review.
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 14(5), 898-911.
Kaur, M., Sharma, H. B., Kaur, S., Sharma, R., Sharma, R., Kapoor, R., et al. (2020). Comparison of two formats of journal club for
postgraduate students at two centers in developing critical appraisal skills. Advances in Physiology Education, 44(4), 592-601.
Lehna, C., Berger, J., Truman, A., Goldman, M., & Topp, R. (2010). Virtual Journal Club Connects Evidence to Practice: An Analysis
of Participant Responses. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(12).
Mcglacken-Byrne, S. M., O'Rahelly, M., Cantillon, P., & Allen, N. M. (2020). Journal club: old tricks and fresh approaches. Archives
of disease in childhood - Education & practice edition, 105(4), 236-241.
Morrison, K. (2017). Dissecting the literature: the importance of critical appraisal. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/library-and-
publications/library/blog/dissecting-the-literature-the-importance-of-critical-appraisal/
Parahoo, K. (2014). Nursing Research: Principles, Process and Issues. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Rosen, J., & Ryan, M. (2019). A Virtual Nursing Journal Club: Bridging the Gap Between Research Evidence and Clinical Practice.
JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(12).
Shorten, A. (2013). When is evidence too old? https://blogs.bmj.com/ebn/2013/09/26/when-is-the-evidence-too-old/
Stemcell Technologies. Ten Tips for Scientific Journal Clubs: How to Organize, Lead, and Participate Well.
https://www.stemcell.com/efficient-research/journal-club

13. Thank you.
Final questions or comments?