2016Call for Student PostersMNRS 2016 Annual Research Conference March 17 - 20, 2016Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

We will select up to three (3) studentswith posters in each of the following educational programs:

Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science (PhD)

In each educational level, there will be three categories. Students should check the appropriate category for judging as follows:

Research: Research is a systematic investigation used to generate generalizable knowledge about a phenomenon.

Evidence Based Projects: EBP projects exemplify the use of best evidence from research, practice and patient preferencesto influence the provision of high quality care. EBP projects start with a clinical problem or quality concern, evaluate the literature for best practices related to the concern, and implement evidenced based practice, system, and/or policy changes to address the concern. EBP projects should highlight recommendations for clinical practice, future research, and policy change.

Evidence Based Literature Review: The EBP literature review is a thorough review of the literature related to a clinical problem.

UW-Madison School of Nursing Travel Funding

Students selected as part of the UW-Madison School of Nursing competition will be funded to attend the MNRS conference in Milwaukee. This includes conference registration, travel to get to the conference (a UW van traveling to the conference with staff), meals while at the conference, lodging (double or triple hotel room occupancy for two nights –Thursday and Friday only).

UW-Madison School of Nursing Instructions – Deadline September 16th

Please submit the MNRS 2016 Poster Submission Cover Sheet(attachment) and the materials as outlined on pages 2 -3 for each category.
Research Project

Completed research and research in progress may be submitted. Abstracts will be judged on the following criteria.Research in progress at the time of abstract submission will be judged on the first three criteria. Abstracts submitted as research in progress must be completed by the time of the conference.

Use bold font for the abstract headings. The 350 word abstract must include the title, headings, and the following key elements:

•Purpose and Background/Significance:State the purpose of the studyand why it is important to nursing science, practice and/or patient care.

•Theoretical/ conceptual framework: Include conceptual and operational definitions.

•Method: Describe the study design, sample, instruments used, and data collection procedures (Include proposed data collection and analysis if project is not complete).

•Results: Discuss findings within the context of prior research, conceptual framework, and study limitations.

•Conclusions: Explain what the findings mean for the science of nursing.

Evidence Based Project

Completed EBPs and EBPs in progress may be submitted.Abstracts will be judged on the following criteria but only through the 4th criterion if the project is in progress. Abstracts submitted as EBPs in progress must be completed by the time of the conference.

Use bold font for the abstract headings.The 350 word abstract must include the title, headings, and the following key elements:

  • Nature and scope of the project (introduction, problem identification, significance, project objectives).
  • Synthesis and analysis of supporting literature. Describe the evidence-based solution. How was it developed? Include the theoretical framework if applicable.
  • Project implementation: Describe the implementation process and significant challenges encountered.Include plans for implementation if the project is not complete.
  • Evaluation criteria: Provide details of your method for evaluating the success of the project. Include proposed evaluation criteria if the project is not complete.
  • Outcomes: What were the outcomes of the project? How were the outcomes measured?
  • Recommendations: Describe your recommendations for clinical practice and policy based on the outcomes of the evidence-based practice project.

EBP Literature Review

Use bold font for the abstract headings. The 350 word abstract must include the title, headings, and the following key elements:

  • Problem:Describe the health care issue the evidence review addresses. Provide support for the significance of the problem.
  • Purpose:State the objectives of this inquiry relative to the overall evidence-based literature review on this topic.
  • Search Strategy: identify databases searched, inclusion/exclusion criteria.
  • Results of literature search: Describe the search, number of studies included and level of evidence. Include a summary table of your evidence in theposter.
  • Synthesis of Evidence: Briefly describe the synthesis of the evidence that includes major trends and notable gaps.
  • Implications for Practice:Includeyour recommendations for practice, education, or future research based on the review and synthesis of the evidence.

If selected as a 2016 Student Poster Presenter:

Best Poster Awards (At the 2016 Conference):Abstracts will be rated according to the criteria listed above in addition to the student’s role. Abstracts with the highest initial review rating will then be selected for on-site judging and will be judged according to the scientific criteria listed above, plusoverall poster appearance. It is suggested that each student refer to a published article on poster preparation or refer to the guidelines provided in your poster acceptance notification letter. Each student level of posters, Undergraduate, DNP, and PhD will be judged separately. For PhD student entries, the first place award will be designated for a research project.For DNP student entries, the first place award will be designated for an evidence based project. Award winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony on March 20, 2016.

Set up times will be posted on the MNRS website and in your acceptance letter.

MNRS membership is required to attend & compete at the MNRS Conference once they have received notification from their school’s review panel that their abstract has been approved for presentation. Membership information can be obtained from the MNRS website at to access the on-line membership form.

Avoidance of Commercialism

All presentations must avoid commercialism. Presentations that constitute promotion and advertisement will be prohibited. This includes pervasive or inappropriate use of logos. Product or service descriptions or advertisements may not be distributed, nor may any material be displayed to promote the commercial interest of a particular company or enterprise. If the cost of any presentation has been underwritten, a clear acknowledgement stating the source and support should be included. Statements made in the presentation are the sole responsibility of the author and should not be viewed as or considered representative of any formal stance or position taken on any product, subject or issue by MNRS.

Conference Registration

All conference fees are the responsibility of the student poster presenter. Registration information will be mailed to current MNRS members in December. Poster presenters must be registered for at least the day that they are presenting. Registration will also be available online at

Submission Information and Deadlines

  1. ALL student abstracts must be submitted on-line. The MNRS electronic submission site will open on September 10, 2015 and remain open until midnight on Monday, October 15, 2015. Students will receive instructions directly from MNRS staff regarding abstract submission to the online system.
  2. Abstracts submitted for this competitive student program cannot be submittedto the MNRS General Call for Abstracts.

The following will be required during the submission process:

  • Student contribution to preparation of the abstract
  • Student role in the conduct of the presented research, evidence-based project, or evidence-based literature review
  • Confirmation that results and/or outcomes will be presented at the conference.