Issue link: https://ahint.epubxp.com/i/619494
A A H F N . O R G | 1 7 F E A T U R E C reating a successful journal club for any discipline can be a challenge, particularly for healthcare providers, but it is very worthwhile to do. An example of a successful journal club is the Middle Tennessee Heart Failure Journal Club (MTHFJC), which originated in spring 2005 from the collaborative efforts of six advanced practice nurses (APNs). They all represent different healthcare entities in the middle Tennessee area, yet they all share the mission and vision to promote guide- line-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and evidence-based practice (EBP) for patients with heart failure (HF). Ten years later, these six APNs remain the core members of the journal club. Establishing a core group like this has been a key to the success of the journal club. In the beginning, the founding APNs established who would attend the journal club. Invitations were extended to nurses and nurse practitioners that were working with patients with HF in the region. Each core member went to their place of employment and invited nurses they thought would be interested in the journal club, and created an email list from this initial pool. Over the years, the journal club expanded to include not only nurse practitioners and registered nurses (RN), but also pharmacists, nurse educators and other healthcare providers. Attendance is taken each time the journal club meets to keep up with faithful attendees and update email lists for future meetings. Each year the core members of the journal club rotate the administrative respon- sibilities for sending out invitations to the quarterly meetings through email. Since its inception, the MTHFJC has met quarterly to review and discuss journal articles associated with clinical trials and other topics specific to the care of the HF population. The aim of the MTHFJC is to provide a forum for providers passionate about HF to network and engage in scholarly discussions about GDMT and EBP in HF care. Most of the time speakers are regular attendees or core members of the journal club. MTHFJC decided local restaurants that are equipped for dinner programs were the best places to meet. The MTHFJC also had to determine the "how," and was fortunate to be able to pay for meals through industry-sponsored programs about HF. The individual core members would "pitch" journal club topics to the company and ask if they want to sponsor a dinner, pairing the topic with an appropriate industry partner. There has been generous support of device companies, pharmaceutical companies and local-infusion com- panies. If there is ever a conflict of interest among members or attendees pay for their own meal. Journal club members used informa- tion learned at the journal club to educate staff and graduate students, implement GDMT and EBP and improve care for patients and families. New topics that emerged as areas of interest included hyponatremia, new biomarkers, percutaneous assist devices and medication adherence for patients with low literacy. Additional benefits included post presentation discussions, as well as networking and professional advancement. In 2008, and again in 2015, a survey was used to measure the impact of the journal club on clinical practice, application to patient care, benefits of the post-presentation discussion and any additional benefits. Comparison of data between 2008 and 2015 indicates that MTHFJC continues to provide a unique service to the HF community. In 2008, there were 16 respondents to the survey, representing seven healthcare entities — about 81 percent were APNs, 13 percent were RNs and 6 percent were pharmacists. In 2015, there were 22 respondents, representing seven healthcare entities — 68 percent were APNs, 22 percent RNs and 9 percent were pharmacists. The median number of years of HF experience in 2015 was 13.4 compared to 9.5 in 2008. The comparison of the data from both surveys revealed that MTHFJC continued to provide an opportunity to solidify and incorporate new learning into professional practice, while supporting the mission/vision of the American Association for Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN). While the data will guide the development of future meetings for MTHFJC, it is hoped it will also serve as a model for other AAHFN members to develop similar journal clubs in their respective communities. Creating a Successful Heart Failure Journal Club K. Melissa Smith, DNP, ANP-BC • Instructor of Nursing Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN E d u c a t i o n aahfn.org/educationcenter