The journal club : enhancing research awareness

Abstract

Research awareness and research utilisation are important issues in the profession of nursing. Evidence based health care demands that nurses develop research based nursing practice. A number of strategics have been developed to facilitate this happening. One strategy, which has been identified for improving research knowledge and research utilisation, is the journal club. The aim of this research study was to identify and highlight the barriers to and influences on research awareness and utilisation in a New Zealand nursing population. This was achieved using two methods that gained complementary information surrounding research awareness and utilisation. Focus groups were held with two journal clubs to gain insight and understanding into how journal clubs as a strategy may influence research awareness, while a survey of 200 nurses was undertaken to establish a greater understanding of issues surrounding research utilisation in a New Zealand nursing population. The survey results identified that a positive attitude to research and the availability of research are the two main variables influencing research utilisation in a New Zealand nursing population. The focus group results indicated that journal clubs have the potential to raise research awareness when certain factors are addressed. There needs to be adequate support and commitment from colleagues and the organisation, research findings need to be accessible, barriers need to be reduced, and there needs to be less resistance to change. Together the focus group and survey results provide insights into the issues surrounding research awareness and utilisation in a New Zealand nursing population. The journal club as a strategy for promoting research awareness and possibly leading to research utilisation demonstrated many benefits, resulting in a list of strategies to assist in the successful implementation of a journal club.