2018 Call for Abstracts

Conference Goals

1. Align quality and safety through the characteristics of high reliability organizations, to improve patient and nursing outcomes.
2. Demonstrate the effective use of technology and data to improve nursing practice, patient outcomes, and highlighting the value of nursing.
3. Maximize the use of quality, safety and innovative strategies to drive patient-centered care with the patient engaged as a full partner in care.
4. Utilize evidence-based quality innovations to drive quality and safety.

1. Areas of Focus

   Five IOM Safety and Quality Competencies:

   • Provide patient-centered care identify, respect, and care about patient differences, values, preferences, and expressed needs; relieve pain and suffering; coordinate continuous care; listen to, clearly inform, communicate with, and educate patients; share decision making and management; and continuously advocate disease prevention, wellness, and promotion of healthy lifestyles, including a focus on population health.
   • Work in interdisciplinary team - cooperate, collaborate, communicate, and integrate care in teams to ensure that care is continuous and reliable.
   • Employ evidence-based practice - integrate best research with clinical expertise and patient values for optimum care, and participate in learning and research activities to the extent feasible.
   • Apply quality improvement - identify errors and hazards in care; understand and implement basic safety design principles, such as standardization and simplification; continually understand and measure quality of care in terms of structure, process, and outcomes in relation to patient and community needs; design and test interventions to change processes and systems of care, with the objective of improving quality.
   • Utilize informatics - communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making using information technology.

   
   
   Using the Institute of Medicine (2003) competencies for nursing, QSEN faculty have defined pre-licensure and graduate quality and safety competencies for nursing and proposed targets for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be developed in nursing pre-licensure programs for each competency:

   • Patient-Centered Care - Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
   • Teamwork & Collaboration - Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
   • Evidence Based Practice - Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care.
   • Quality Improvement - Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems.
   • Safety - Minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.
   • Informatics - Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making.

   
   
   Topical Areas:
   Abstract submissions should relate to one or more of the conference goals. Special consideration will be given to those proposals that incorporate focus areas from the IOM and QSEN quality and safety standards. Topical areas of interest include the nursing work environment; nurse staffing; nursing-driven coordination of care delivery; safety; quality management or improvement; inter-professional team collaboration efforts aimed toward improvement in patient outcomes; initiatives aimed toward promotion of patient-centered care; innovative strategies to improve quality in care delivery or among the inter-professional team; use of informatics and data to drive quality of nursing care.(Examples: patient-centered care strategies that recognize the patient as the source of control and full partner in care; improvement in benchmarked nurse-sensitive indicators; clinician engagement in quality; workplace or work environment quality initiatives; integration of desktop, mobile, or other technologies in the care setting; inter-professional collaboration to achieve optimal patient outcomes; etc.).

2. Abstract Submission Instructions

   1. Read all instructions below before beginning abstract submission.
   2. The deadline for submission of abstracts is May 30, 2017 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. No abstracts will be accepted after this date and incomplete abstracts will be disqualified.
   3. All authors (primary authors and additional authors) listed on an abstract accepted for presentation are REQUIRED to register for the FULL conference by the early bird registration deadline. Only those authors registered to attend the conference by the deadline will be listed in the conference program. Failure to register by the deadline will cancel the presentation from the conference program.
   4. No more than two authors may be listed for a given abstract. One author must be identified as the primary author and will be the point of contact for all communications regarding the abstract. Please ensure that the e-mail addresses (both a primary and alternate email) for the primary author are accurate. The primary author is responsible for communication with other authors and for ensuring compliance with copyright law and deadlines.
   5. All fields must be completed for each author listed on the abstract including demographics, biographical information, and disclosure of financial interests related to potential conflict of interest BEFORE the submission deadline. Failure to complete all required information or violation of any submission guideline will disqualify your abstract from consideration.
   6. Abstract submission guidelines:
      1. All abstracts must be submitted online in alignment with the guidelines provided.
      2. Abstracts must not exceed the published character limit (based on track).
      3. Abstracts may be submitted for poster or oral presentation. Abstracts submitted for oral presentations will be considered for oral or poster presentation, unless otherwise specified by the primary author.
      4. Abstracts may be submitted for one track only: research, innovation and technology, practice, or work environment.
      5. Abstract scoring and selection is conducted via blinded peer review.
      6. Notification of acceptance status will be sent to the primary author in early August, 2017.
      7. Add ana@confex.com to your address book in order to ensure you receive communication regarding your abstract submission.
      8. Do not use acronyms.
      9. Do not include organization or facility name (or any other identifying information) in abstract or abstract title. Abstracts with this information will be disqualified.
      10. Review your abstract and edit for spelling and grammar prior to submission.
   7. Steps for submission:
      1. Click link entitled "Begin An Abstract"
      2. Complete online submission form ensuring that each field is completed as instructed.
      3. Biographical data and financial disclosure information must be completed for each author prior to abstract submission or the abstract will be disqualified.
      4. The following may NOT be entered: charts, graphs, tables, bullet points, indentations, references, attachments.
      5. Submit abstract.
      6. Edits may be made until May 30, 2017 at which time the submission site will close and no further changes may be made.
   8. Authors of abstracts accepted for presentation at the conference are required to:
      1. Respond with their intent by the designated date in the invitation and register for the FULL conference by the early bird deadline. Failure to respond or register will cancel the presentation from the conference program.
      2. Assume costs associated with registration, travel and accommodations for the conference.
      3. Submit a speaker release form via the Speakers Center section of the online abstract system two weeks after acceptance.
      4. Upload their electronic presentation (oral or poster) and handouts to the online system by December 15, 2017.

   
   

3. Conference Tracks

   TRACK 1: RESEARCH
   Research track abstracts for oral presentation are limited to completed health care research using a quantitative or qualitative design pertaining to topics relevant to the conference goals. Research in progress is acceptable for poster presentations only. Research can be original or replication studies that address one or more of the conference topic areas. Research must incorporate measurement of nursing quality and/or some aspect of nursing quality data; management of work environment (i.e. nurse staffing, governance models); the impact of the registered nurse on patient outcomes; innovation in delivery and coordination of nursing care services aimed toward improvement of patient outcomes; initiatives aimed toward patient-centered care and its impact on outcomes; inter-professional approaches to improving patient care outcomes; patient-centered care initiatives and their impact on outcomes; or leveraging technology and data to enhance nursing care delivery. For qualitative studies, researchers must include an explanation of their mechanism for assessing and maintaining research rigor, as well as outlining the research approach (e.g., phenomenology). Abstracts must describe the research purpose, significance, methods, sample, results, conclusions, and implications for practice. Posters may omit results and conclusions, but must include hypotheses.
   

   Abstract Review Criteria

   • Relevance to conference goal(s)
   • Scientific merit, including appropriateness of research methods
   • Overall contribution to the body of nursing knowledge
   • Clarity of abstract, including, but not limited to comprehensiveness and readability

   
   
   Elements of Research Abstracts

   Section Character Limit (2,500 overall)	Section
   300	Purpose: State the intent or goal of the research.
   500	Background/Significance: Describe the knowledge base you are building on, and the importance of the research goal. This section should also include hypotheses or research aims.
   700	Methods: Identify the research design, sample, instruments, data collection procedures, and analytic approach used.
   700	Results: Describe findings and include actual analytical data.
   300	Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Discuss the meaning of the findings and their implications for nursing practice.

   
   

   TRACK 2: INNOVATION and TECHNOLOGY
   Innovative and Technology track abstracts should focus on non-traditional or “out-of-the-box” strategies or technological advances that affect nurses and/or inter-professional team members in any healthcare practice setting and are futuristic in approach. Such strategies must relate to the conference topic areas and directly address nursing quality and/or some aspect of nursing quality data; management of work environment (i.e. nurse staffing, governance models); innovation in delivery and coordination of nursing care services aimed toward improvement of patient outcomes; inter-professional approaches to improving patient care outcomes using technology; or leveraging technology and data to enhance the value of nursing care delivery. The innovation or technology may be oriented to administrative or staff level approaches and should highlight creative methods used to enhance outcomes in one or all of the following areas:

   • care coordination and delivery
   • patient-centered care and engaging the patient as a full partner in care
   • nurse staffing
   • staff governance
   • patient governance
   • work environment innovations and technologyinter-professional approaches to improving communication and care delivery using technology
   • all care settings including ambulatory and long term care
   • sustaining and replicating innovations in practice

   
   Abstracts must include a description of the innovation or technology; its organizational history and implementation; nurses', team members', and patients' responses to the innovation or technology; effectiveness of the strategy; and implications for broader implementation into professional practice.

   Abstract Review Criteria

   • Relevance to conference goal(s)
   • Comprehensive description of the creative, unique, or innovative strategy or technology
   • Rigor of evaluation of response to the innovation or technology
   • Clarity of abstract, including, but not limited to comprehensiveness and readability

   
   
   Elements of Innovation and Technology Abstracts

   Section Character Limit (2,500 overall)	Section
   300	Purpose: Identify the innovative strategy or technology and overall goal impacting nurses
   500	Relevance/Significance: Describe the relevance to the conference goals, the importance of the quality/performance/work issue, and reasons why the innovation/technology was needed
   1000	Strategy and Implementation: Describe the innovation or technology and the process of implementation.
   400	Evaluation: Describe analytic findings and include actual evaluation data demonstrating success.
   300	Implications for Practice: Discuss specific implications for nursing practice.

   
   TRACK 3: PRACTICE (NURSE AND PATIENT)
   Practice track abstracts focus on actions implemented by nurses to facilitate nursing quality and safety practice improvements based on opportunities identified or in response to regulatory requirements. Such actions evidence nursing staff or management quality improvements and must focus on one or more conference goals. Abstracts must incorporate measurement of some aspect of nursing quality data. Topics may include, but are not limited to: measurement of nursing quality and/or some aspect of nursing quality data including identification and remedy of errors in care; management of/or improving the nursing work environment related to models of care coordination and delivery; nurse staffing; inter-professional approaches to improving team relationships, communication, and patient care outcomes; reduction of harm and promotion of safety for the patient; team-based initiatives aimed toward quality or care; measurement of educational interventions in the care environment. Abstracts must include a description of the issue or problem addressed, the practice changes implemented, an evaluation of the effectiveness, and implications for practice.
   

   Abstract Review Criteria

   • Relevance to conference goal(s)
   • Rigor of evaluation of nursing practice improvement
   • Evidence of relevance to contemporary or future nursing practice
   • Clarity of abstract, including, but not limited to comprehensiveness and readability

   
   
   Elements of Practice Abstracts

   Section Character Limit (2,500 overall)	Section
   300	Purpose: Identify the overall goal of the practice initiative.
   500	Relevance/Significance: Describe the initiative's relevance and importance in context of the conference goal(s).
   1000	Strategy and Implementation: Describe the practice actions and the process of implementation.
   400	Evaluation: Describe analytic findings and include actual evaluation data demonstrating the value of the practice change (success or failure).
   300	Implications for Practice: Discuss specific implications for nursing practice.

   
   TRACK 4: WORK ENVIRONMENT (NURSE AND LEADER OR NURSE AND ORGANIZATION)
   Work environment track abstracts focus on actions implemented by nursing staff and leaders to facilitate positive, professional nursing work environments that promote autonomy of nursing practice and decision-making, the health and safety of the nurse (e.g. improved nurse satisfaction, reduced turnover, reduced workplace injuries etc.), and optimal patient outcomes or nurse outcomes. Such actions evidence nursing staff or management quality improvements targeted directly toward creating and sustaining high performing, agile, and patient-centric nursing and inter-professional care teams and must focus on one or more conference goals. Topics may include, but are not limited to: safety initiatives; shared governance; business case for nurse staffing or skill mix; fatigue; shift work; workplace incivility or violence; inter-professional care models promoting team cohesion and quality care; initiatives aimed toward ensuring that inter-professional care is reliable and continuous, promotes shared decision-making, and enhances quality outcomes. Abstracts must incorporate description of identified opportunity, actions implemented, outcomes, and evaluation of interventions impacting nurses.
   

   Abstract Review Criteria

   • Relevance to conference goal(s)
   • Rigor of evaluation of nurse work environment improvement
   • Evidence of relevance to contemporary or future nursing practice
   • Clarity of abstract, including, but not limited to comprehensiveness and readability

   
   
   Elements of Work Environment Abstracts

   Section Character Limit (2,500 overall)	Section
   300	Purpose: Identify the overall goal of the work environment initiative.
   500	Relevance/Significance: Describe the initiative's relevance and importance in context of the conference goal(s).
   1000	Strategy and Implementation: Describe the actions and the process of implementation.
   400	Evaluation: Describe analytic findings and include actual evaluation data demonstrating the impact of the change in the work environment (success or failure).
   300	Implications for Practice: Discuss specific implications for nursing.

Information regarding the conference, including the conference registration fees, will be available on the ANA website at http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Conference/ANA-Annual-Conference. The website will be updated periodically with new information.

For help in submitting an abstract online, email Tech Support.