Creating a Student Pediatric Nursing Journal Club
What's a Journal Club?
A journal club is an open forum to meet, discuss, and critically evaluate research. The goal is to translate literature into meaningful knowledge that can applied today and in the future.
Before each meeting, an article from a peer-reviewed journal is selected and read. Questions are developed to guide collaborative discussion during the meeting. Usually a leader is selected to facilitate discussion. Participants have access to questions prior to meeting so they can be prepared to discuss the article's content.
What are the Benefits?
A journal club helps you:
- Make pediatric nursing literature/research understandable, useful, and interesting.
- Engage in professional discussions with like-minded peers.
- Know hot topics being studied in the field.
- Strengthen critical thinking
- Support your current courses.
- Become familiar with evidence-based research methodologies.
- Get more out of your pediatric clinical rotation experience.
- Prepare for your future career.
Getting Started
- Before you start:
- Get support: Invite a faculty member to give input or join in as an advisory participant.
- Find a convenient place, preferably with a table to gather around informally.
- Use the sign on page 4 to gauge interest and kick-off your first meeting
- A group of 5 or more participants is suggested to stimulate meaningful review and discussion.
- At your first meeting:
- Determine if you need a chair (or two co-chairs), or if you'll take turns facilitating each meeting.
- Decide when/how often you will meet. Try to keep meetings less than 60 minutes.
- Exchange contact information.
- Share information in this document to help others know the club goals and prepare.
- Consider holding a contest to name your club.
- Once you decide on the first article, and going forward, personalize and post the sign on page 5 to make the club visible and get new participants interested.
- Tip! Naming the specific article can create more interest and have crossover appeal (e.g., an article about mental health in schools can appeal to students considering pediatrics, school-based health, or mental health nursing).
- Consider leaving a brightly colored "you're invited" note on print-outs of the article in areas where other students can see it (e.g., bulletin boards, lounge or common areas).
- Use social media to send reminders, decide on future articles, or continue the discussion after a meeting.
