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This two-part series offers nurses guidance on how to write abstracts for scholarly work that will be disseminated in a professional arena. Part 1 of this series reviews submission of an abstract for a poster or podium presentation.
Key Words: Poster abstract, podium abstract.
Nurses are ideally positioned to design, develop, and conduct research, evidence-based projects, quality improvement initiatives, education programs, and innovative leadership practices. When nurses are empowered to engage in this work, quality and safety outcomes improve for patients, for the organization, and potentially, for many other health care settings. Regardless of the project type (research, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, education, leadership/management), nurses have a professional and moral obligation to disseminate the outcomes of their work. This is typically done through peerreviewed publications and poster or podium presentations. A barrier to dissemination is that many nurses lack experience and education on how to share these outcomes. Without proper support and mentorship, the abstract submission process can be daunting. This column offers nurses guidance on how to write a professional abstract to submit for a poster or podium presentation, and to encourage the translation of knowledge into action.
What Is an Abstract and Where Do I Begin?
An abstract is a short summary (usually ranging from 200 to 500 words) of a project or a study that provides a compelling synopsis for the reader to quickly decide whether they want to view a poster, attend a podium presentation, or engage with authors during the conference proceedings. Abstracts have logic and structure; they must be concise, capture the reader's attention, summarize the topic, outline the critical points, and describe practice implications. Adequate time is required...