Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses

The versatility of the poster as a medium for dissemination makes it effective

in a variety of situations. Posters are often used in the clinical arena to convey

innovations or describe EBP. At professional conferences, research studies are

often summarized in a poster display. Nurses may have opportunities to display

posters at their places of employment. A poster could be displayed on a unit or in

an area where staff members are likely to gather, such as the cafeteria or hallway.

Because dissemination from individuals in clinical practice is essential to

building nursing knowledge, unit-based posters are an excellent opportunity

for nurses to disseminate the unique knowledge they possess. Evidence-based

projects, quality improvement, and interesting patient case studies lend them-

selves to poster presentations. For example, a nurse notes that a better way is

needed for securing scalp needles used with infants. Over time, he devises a

technique that is superior to other taping methods. A poster presentation would

be an ideal way to share his innovation with other nurses.

Poster presentations are a mainstay of professional conferences. Most all

major conferences include at least one poster session, and such sessions are

growing in popularity to the point that it is not uncommon to have several

sessions throughout a conference. Because poster submissions are usually

competitive, it is an honor to have a poster selected for display.

How to Be a Poster Presenter

There is a typical process for selecting individuals to present at poster presenta-

tions. To be considered for presentation, individuals are required to submit an

abstract summarizing the project. Abstracts are peer reviewed using stringent

criteria. To increase the likelihood of having an abstract selected, attention

to poster guidelines when writing an abstract for submission is critical. For

example, it would be expected that the abstract contain the exact headings as

specified in the guidelines. Another way to increase the chances of having an

abstract accepted for presentation is to consider whether the poster would be

appropriate for the audience expected at the conference. Notices, also known

as a call for abstracts, publicize that submissions for abstracts are being sought.

Calls for abstracts typically include information about submission and pro-

vide clues about the intended audience. Information in the call for abstracts

can help one decide whether a topic is congruent with

the conference objectives. A title that communicates

the significance of content being disseminated is likely

to capture the interest of the reviewer (Garner, Morey,

Yang, & Faruque, 2012). For example, if childhood obesity

is the focus of a conference, it is unlikely that a poster

about obesity in older adults would be selected. Care-

fully matching one’s scholarly work to the appropriate

KEY TERMS

networking:

Interacting

with colleagues

to exchange

information and

build relationships

call for abstracts:

Notices publicizing

the desire

for posters or

presentations at

conferences

FYI

The 3 Ps of dissemination are posters,

presentations, and papers. Nurses have an

obligation to facilitate dissemination and

can best participate in this by learning the

proper processes and methods of the 3 Ps

of dissemination.

492 CHAPTER 19 Sharing the Insights with Others