The conference planning committee invites applications to present at the 25th annual conference of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN). The conference, entitled "The Neonatal Community: Creating the Silver Lining", is scheduled for Sept 23-26, 2009 (Wednesday through Saturday) at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX.

The conference planning committee is excited that more and more abstracts are submitted each year. However, as this happens, the selection process becomes more and more difficult. The goal is to balance the material included in the conference in order to appeal to the wide experience level and interest of the membership and attendees. The various tracks for the 2009 conference will be as follows: APN, Management, Miscellaneous, RN and Review. You are invited to indicate which track you feel would be most appropriate for the abstract you are submitting. The committee is particularly interested in evidence-based practice issues, hot topics in neonatal nursing and material that would be appropriate for the review track, directed at the neonatal nurse with at least 2 years experience for the CCRN or NCC Certification exam. The committee is looking forward to reading your submission!

CONCURRENT SESSION GUIDELINES

• Each session is limited to one primary presenter.
• In 150 words or less, provide an accurate, succinct, and informative representation of the content you plan to present. The abstract communicates the essence of your presentation to the intended audience. Relevance to neonatal nursing should be included. Topics should address audience needs from those of relatively inexperienced to advanced practice nurses.
• Presentations must avoid any semblance of commercialism: those constituting promotion and advertising are prohibited.
• Each session is scheduled for 60 minutes.
• Speaker Reimbursement consists of the following: $100.00 honorarium, round trip coach airfare, one night complimentary hotel accommodations at the conference hotel, a $75 expense stipend and a complimentary conference registration.

PAPER/POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

• Paper and Poster Presentations are limited to one primary presenter.
• In 150 words or less, provide an accurate, succinct, and informative representation of the content you plan to present. The abstract communicates the essence of your presentation to the intended audience. Relevance to neonatal nursing should be included. Topics should address audience needs from those of relatively inexperienced to advanced practice nurses.
• Paper and poster submissions must fall into at least one of the following primary content areas: Evidence Based Practice Projects, Clinical Research and Educational Issues.
• Evidence Based Practice Projects Abstracts should include: Problem, Purpose, Development of Program, Implementation, Evaluation and Results.
• Clinical Research Abstracts should include: Problem, Purpose, Theoretical Framework/Scientific Rationale and Methods (sample, setting, design, measures), Analysis, Results and Implications for Nursing.
• Educational Issues Abstracts should include a stated purpose for the session, a description/discussion of the topic, and future directions.
• Presentations must avoid any semblance of commercialism: those constituting promotion and advertising are prohibited.
• Paper and poster submissions must be original (i.e., not previously published or presented)
• Paper presenters are allotted 30 minutes.
• Poster presenters are assigned various times during the conference (approximately 2-3 hours cumulatively) to be present at their poster to answer questions. Posters must be displayed for viewing for the duration of the conference during all scheduled exhibit hours.
• Paper and poster presenters are responsible for all expenses related to their presentations, including, but not limited to: air & ground travel, lodging, meals, and incidentals. Paper presenters must minimally register for the day they present their papers and are responsible for related registration fees. Poster presenters must register for the entire conference and are responsible for related registration fees.

What is the difference between Evidence-Based Practice Projects, Clinical Research Studies and Educational Issues?

Evidence-Based Practice Projects are conducted with the intent of either generating a clinical practice guideline or implementing a practice recommendation in a particular setting based on existing evidence. Evidence-based clinical practice guidlines/practice changes must incorporate patient preferences as well as expert clinical judgment. Existing research studies are critically reviewed to determine the quality of available evidence that would justify implementation of the specific practice change. The description of an EBP would include steps taken to implement the practice change, barriers to implementation, analysis of nursing and patient outcomes, and recommendations for next steps related to practice, education, or future research. Outcomes of an EBP applied to a clinical setting should be compared to what research has previously found in a more controlled environment. IRB review may be needed for an EBP if outcome data are collected from human subjects.

Clinical Research Studiesare conducted with the intent of generating new evidence or strengthening existing evidence related to a clinically relevant nursing problem. Research projects are guided by a conceptual framework that allow research questions to be answered and/or hypotheses to be tested. Existing research studies are critically reviewed to justify the need for new or strengthened evidence (i.e.significance of the study). The description of a research project would include methodology (design, sampling plan, valid and reliable data gathering strategies, data analysis), interpretation of results and implications for nursing practice and future research. IRB review is mandatory.

Educational Issuesinclude topics relating to patient education, staff development/continuing education of practicing nurses (methods/strategies or an in-depth examination of a particular health condition), and formal nursing education (controversies, regulatory or policy issues).

Applications to present are evaluated using a blind review process (i.e., the reviewers are unaware of the applicant’s identity). Applicants should be careful not to disclose their identity when describing their qualifications to present on their topic. Obejctives for the session should be written as "Learner based" (i.e. what will the person who attends your session be able to do or understand). Objectives that detail what the presenter will cover are not "Learner based". Selection criteria will include expertise of the presenter and evidence of an advanced level of knowledge.

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