Authors

  1. Wink, Diane EdD, RN, FNP-BC

Article Content

Most nursing and health care professional journal articles are now retrievable digitally after an online search. Because perusal of the rest of the journal does not occur, students unfamiliar with print media may not realize what else is in the journal-additional articles of interest, editorials, varied journal features, and ads. Learning the unique characteristics of different professional journals can be achieved via a Journal Table of Contents course activity. After an overview of professional publications relevant to the course, students are assigned to small groups after which each member selects one journal from a list of those relevant to the course and sets up digital delivery of its Table of Contents. They then explore the content using the journal's table of contents as a guide. The next month, the groups meet in person or online to report on topics of articles in their assigned journal that month, the focus of any editorials, and content of features and provide a brief summary (type of article, focus, information presented) of one article relevant to the course's focus. Differences and similarities between the journals are then discussed as students compare content, focus, styles, and features of the different journals. If an ongoing assignment is desired, a different group member could be tasked with going to a journal's website at the start of each month to then report on its features and that month's content. A different set of journals could also be used throughout the semester.