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Connecting with research through a digitally-mediated journal club for and by nurses in Africa

Published onJun 13, 2023
Connecting with research through a digitally-mediated journal club for and by nurses in Africa

Many African nurses face barriers accessing research literature and may lack the confidence or skills to lead or participate in discussions about health research. Evaluation of a large-scale nurses’ journal club at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in South Africa found that attendance at the journal club contributed to increased access to scientific literature, personal and organisational habits of reading, and collaborative exploration of clinical practice for nurses of all cadres. Innovative participatory and visual facilitation methods (including large-scale graphic facilitation) were found to contribute to the efficacy and popularity of sessions. Nurse researchers at the Children’s Nursing Development Unit subsequently developed a digitally-mediated journal club to increase the reach of this innovative journal club model. A network of local facilitators have completed training and induction and now lead monthly journal club sessions at 17 hospitals in eight African countries. Key elements of the design were refined for digitally-mediated delivery. Each month local facilitators receive access to a video summary of the chosen article, a graphic summary of the article, and a discussion guide for use with their groups. Sessions are designed to be highly interactive and the nurses are enthusiastic participants who present and discuss published articles and their implications for clinical practice. This model offers an innovative approach to connecting nurses of all cadres with research. This presentation will present key findings from ongoing evaluation, demonstrate the innovative visual facilitation methods used, and share short video accounts of the impact of journal club prepared by some of the participating teams across Africa.

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