Journal Club: From Discussion To Practice

Abstract

As part of a request for more staff education, the concept of a unit-based Journal Club was developed. The topics & articles of Journal Club ranged from current trends in bone marrow transplant to diagnoses seen on the unit, or otherwise known as the “Flavor of the Month.” Journal Club participants include staff nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), pharmacists, physician extenders & any staff member who are interested. Journal Club is presented twice monthly for the day shift and night shift. The same article is discussed at each session. The opportunity for the CNS to meet with the night staff through Journal Club gives an unintended opportunity to be present to them and be seen as a resource available even though they are not on the unit at the same time. Journal Club is an informal format of a staff lunch with a topic for discussion. It is facilitated by the staff members of the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Program Inpatient Unit. The discussions have been lively, informative & most of all proactive in enhancing the care delivery in the stem cell transplant setting. The journal club also serves as an introduction to the value of evidenced-based care. Many times clinical practice is done “because we've always done it that way.” Examining research in a guided way allows staff members the opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation for nursing research and the value of evidenced based practice. In turn, our journal club has made us better care nurses, better preceptors, better charge nurses and more informed about complex patient issues. Several specific examples will be highlighted. The goal of this presentation is to show how an informal discussion can lead to improved compliance & enhanced patient care in the adult stem cell transplant patient population. As part of a request for more staff education, the concept of a unit-based Journal Club was developed. The topics & articles of Journal Club ranged from current trends in bone marrow transplant to diagnoses seen on the unit, or otherwise known as the “Flavor of the Month.” Journal Club participants include staff nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), pharmacists, physician extenders & any staff member who are interested. Journal Club is presented twice monthly for the day shift and night shift. The same article is discussed at each session. The opportunity for the CNS to meet with the night staff through Journal Club gives an unintended opportunity to be present to them and be seen as a resource available even though they are not on the unit at the same time. Journal Club is an informal format of a staff lunch with a topic for discussion. It is facilitated by the staff members of the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Program Inpatient Unit. The discussions have been lively, informative & most of all proactive in enhancing the care delivery in the stem cell transplant setting. The journal club also serves as an introduction to the value of evidenced-based care. Many times clinical practice is done “because we've always done it that way.” Examining research in a guided way allows staff members the opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation for nursing research and the value of evidenced based practice. In turn, our journal club has made us better care nurses, better preceptors, better charge nurses and more informed about complex patient issues. Several specific examples will be highlighted. The goal of this presentation is to show how an informal discussion can lead to improved compliance & enhanced patient care in the adult stem cell transplant patient population.