Introduction: this article details the impact that a journal club had on expert nurses working in a hospital. Aim: this study describes the benefits of a journal club and the difficulties encountered by experienced nurses in pain management and palliative care. Method: Seven nurses participated in a written survey containing two questions about the benefits and difficulties pertaining to their participation to a journal clubs. A qualitative inductive content analysis was used to organize and condense the collected data. Findings: 127 units of meaning were identified. The contributions were grouped into six categories: knowledge, discussion, professional assertiveness, reflection, theory-practice link, and positive impetus. The difficulties were grouped into three categories: lack of scientific knowledge, emotional impact, and organization. Trusting and respectful interaction with peers promoted the integration of scientific knowledge. The results suggest that journal clubs have an impact on nurses’ professional assertiveness and are an incentive to read scientific articles. Conclusion: journal clubs are an interesting means of getting experienced nurses to read and critically appraise scientific articles.