Revalidation - CPD resources: Reflecting on a journal article

The SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) method is a useful framework that helps you to get the most out of reading articles and books.

One of its features is to prompt you to consider asking some questions about the text before you start reading so that you engage more fully with the content.

You can find out more from the MindTools website or watch this brief video (its aimed a secondary school students but gives a useful quick overview)

• For revalidation, choose an article published in the last couple of years unless the topic you are interested in hasn't been extensively researched
• Use the SQ3R method to prepare your approach to reading
• Is the journal peer reviewed / does it come from an authoritative source?
• How relevant is the paper to your patients / setting?
• If the paper is a trial or another piece of primary research, use a checklist such as CASP to help you ask the right questions about the study design and results presented
• What are the objectives of the article? Are these clearly defined?
• Do the conclusions answer the original objectives?
• Consider the author, their job role and whether there are any conflicts of interest that may influence their argument?
• What evidence is there to support the main points in the paper?
• How does the paper fit into the wider published literature?
• Has the article refreshed your memory, confirmed what you already know, changed your viewpoint? Have you learned anything you didn't know beforehand? Could it influence a change in practice - or will you need to read more widely before making a change?

If you have a subscription to RCNi, you can see examples of reflective accounts based on CPD articles that other nurses have read and applied to their practice.

Even if you don't have a subscription, you may like to browse the titles to get some inspiration for topics that you could reflect on.