title: Virtual journal club connects evidence to practice: an analysis of participant responses.
abstract: Advancing evidence-based practice in hospitals can be a challenge. To address this issue, a virtual journal club (VJC) was developed using available intranet technology. Research manuscripts are posted along with professional critiques and discussion questions. Comments from nurse VJC participants are reviewed by the hospital's nursing research council and analyzed for practice implications. Recommendations for practice change derived from the analysis are forwarded to the appropriate decision-making body for consideration. This process closes the loop ensuring that the VJC not only exposes the nursing staff to scientific evidence to support changing their practice but also may lead to institutional policy changes that are based on best practice evidence in the literature. The authors discuss the VJC and the outcomes of an evaluation project.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA. Carlee.lehna@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Carlee
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lehna
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Truman
authors.forename: Myra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Topp
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D009732:Nursing Care; D015399:Nursing Research; D010371:Pediatric Nursing