How to Critique a Nursing Journal

Nurses play an important role on any medical team. An effective nurse can help reduce medical complications, convey necessary information accurately and make the delivery of health care far more efficient. Many nurses subscribe to nursing journals. A journal can help keep nurses informed about new developments in her field and provide solutions to workplace problems she may face. A good nursing journal should accomplish several goals.

Instructions

1. Read all the articles in the journal carefully from start to finish. Read the editorials and advertisements as well. This will help give you a fundamental feel for the journal's tone and point of view.

2. Determine if the journal articles have references that take into account all current and historical medical sources. A well-written journal will have references that refer to case studies and current reports on the subject of each article in the journal. Articles should also have interviews with health care industry experts to help certify the evidence that has been provided is accurate.

3. Determine if all research and studies in the journal are supported by a matching need in the community. An effective journal should have articles that provide readers with information that helps a nurse understand how her work and industry may change because of the research done in each article. The writer needs to demonstrate to the reader what may happen as a result of the articles in the journal.

4. Assess how any new case studies and evidence are used throughout the journal. All journal articles should include at least two case studies. Case studies should include information about how the participants were chosen from the general population and how all relevant evidence was collected by the authors.

5. Read all citations used in each article. Citations should provide support for the author's case and outline all opposing arguments. Each citation should be uniform in style and indicate where and when the article was published.

6. Read the advertisements carried by the journal. Some journals have advertisers and some do not. If the journal has advertisers note the contents. All advertisements should be from reputable sources. Ideally, advertisers should promote products such as comfortable shoes that will help nurses do their work more effectively.

7. Read the editorials. The journal's editors use editorials to summarize the articles they have chosen to print and provide the reader with additional information. The editorial should be truthful and state any points of view that the editors have outright.

References

• University of Waterloo: How to Write a Scientific Critique
• Nursing World: Nursing Publications