Clinical nurses' perceived educational value of nursing journal clubs

Evidence-based practice plays a pivotal role in modern nursing decision-making. Healthcare organizations must ensure that nurses consistently have access to and apply the most current evidence. The journal club is a key method for evidence-based education among healthcare professionals. The study aimed to evaluate the perceived educational value of journal clubs among clinical nurses.

The study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey approach. The setting included a large tertiary hospital in the western region of Saudi Arabia. A total of 208 nurses (mean age 38.9 ± 9.1 years; 88.9% female) were randomly sampled. Participants had attended an EBP workshop and at least two journal club sessions. Perceptions were assessed using the Nursing Journal Club Perception Scale (NJPS), a 15-item Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman's Rho tests; p < 0.05 was significant.

Overall, 208 nurses completed the survey. Almost 90% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with the educational value of journal clubs, with a median score of 61.0 (IQR 60.0-68.0). Nurses with 1-5 years of experience reported significantly lower perceived journal club value with a median of 60.0 (IQR 56.0-61.0, p = 0.0402). In comparison, nurses with 6-10 years of experience reported significantly higher perceived journal club value with a median of 62.0 (IQR 60.0-72.0, p = 0.0402) and in the clinical practice support with a median of 34.0 (IQR 32-39, p = 0.0032). No differences were noted on the research support domain (p = 0.0864).

This study findings align with the broader literature, indicating that journal clubs promote critical appraisal skills, support integration of evidence into practice, and encourage professional development. However, the impact of journal clubs is influenced by various contextual factors. This highlights the need and importance of targeting evidence-based practice education, mentorship, and sustained institutional support to optimize the value of journal clubs for the diverse nursing workforce.