Journal club intervention in promoting evidence-based nursing: perceptions of nursing students

This study focused on nursing journal clubs as an intervention in promoting evidence-based nursing. Nursing journal clubs refer to arranged meetings where nurses convene to discuss the use of research knowledge in nursing practice. Researchers and directors of a university hospital planned the intervention. The study aimed to assess learning and utilization of research knowledge after implementation of nursing journal clubs from the perspective of nursing students. In journal clubs, answers were sought from scientific nursing articles to solve nursing problems specified by each ward/outpatient unit. Nursing students paired up to make an oral presentation of a research article to staff nurses. After the presentation, they acted as chairpersons in the discussion. The students had a vocational nursing diploma and were aiming at bachelor's degree in nursing. After the final club meeting, the students (n = 53) responded to a questionnaire. The results indicated that the students were not able to utilize the studies to the same extent as they learnt from them. Age, work experience and participation in research and development activities were connected to learning. Despite limitations, the results may be used to develop nursing journal clubs as a learning and collaboration method between nurse education and health care.