Virtual Journal Club: Innovatively engaging nurses with evidence in their workplace

Purpose:
This evidence-based practice (EBP) project was created to determine whether an innovative Virtual Journal Club (VJC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) improves and increases nursing staff participation and satisfaction with EBP and research in comparison to the traditional in person format?

Significance:
Nurses can review research data and improve the care of patients through journal clubs (Seymour, Kinn, & Sutherland, 2003). VJC integrates new technology that supports quality improvement and is a quality technology tool nurses use to analyze research to develop EBP at the bedside.

Strategy and Implementation:
Limited staffing, in the traditional journal club, makes it challenging for nurses on duty to leave patient care responsibilities to attend journal club meetings (Dobrzanska & Cromack, 2005). Innovative approaches, such as a VJC is a necessity to nursing and can facilitate collective knowledge to be shared; engage in the discussion during patient care downtime; and establish multi-disciplinary collaboration. This project was developed using the Clinical Excellence Through Evidence-based Practice (CETEP) model—Define, Assess, Plan, Implement, and Evaluate. The implementation of the VJC has successfully facilitated the carrying out of a journal club and includes: a monthly article placement by a bedside ICU nurse via MS SharePoint; and review and responses by the 30 ICU nurses, research specialist, and ICU physicians in an electronic blog format about the article's significance to their practice. There are now 17 VJCs fully operational in the Baptist Health South Florida system.

Evaluation:
9 articles and over 120 postings have been posted since the inception of the VJC from June, 2011 to April, 2012. On average over 13 responses per article posted. The nurses' feedback included: a sense of engagement, reduced fears of reviewing literature, and a sparked interest in research and EBP.

Implications for Practice:
The VJC has led to: (1) bacterial swabbing of basins for development of a research study; (2) knowledge of risk factors for patients at higher risk of skin breakdown; and (3) EBP on early mobilization of ventilated patients to a new unit initiative. The ICU VJC has served as a model for the system.