Call For Abstracts

Deadline: March 4, 2013

APNA 27th Annual Conference
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, Texas
October 9-12, 2013

Leading Change, Advancing Mental Health

  

***The abstract submission deadline for the APNA 27th Annual Conference has passed. Notification emails will be sent to all those who submitted on April 15, 2013.***

Theme & Objectives

The theme for this year’s conference is “Leading Change, Advancing Mental Health”. The overall conference learning objectives are:

  • Identify and participate in opportunities to lead change and implement recovery principles in mental health care.
  • Describe evidence based models of care that promote mental health and prevent or minimize mental health problems.
  • Articulate the inpatient contribution of psychiatric mental health nurses in transforming the health care system to promote high quality person centered care.
General Information
 
The 2013 APNA Scholarly Review Committee invites you to submit an abstract proposal to be considered for presentation at the 27th Annual Conference. All submissions undergo peer-review by 3 members of the Scholarly Review Committee (SRC). Please carefully read the following instructions as incomplete submissions will not be sent to reviewers for consideration.

**Download a pdf Walk-through of pages from the submission site. This will allow you to peruse the requirements and gather the necessary information for your presentation in advance of your submission.** Submission Site pdf Walk-through
 
*New this Year: Indicate the presentation formats(s) under which your abstract will be reviewed. The options are: 2 hour pre-conference, 45 minute concurrent, 20 minute mini concurrent, and poster. Select all that apply and your abstract will be reviewed based on your presentation format selections of first choice, second choice and so on. You are still welcome to submit for only one type of presentation (ie, poster or concurrent session) in the First Choice dropdown, and it will be reviewed for that presentation type only.
 

Review the format descriptions and complete the online submission process for the selected type of presentation. Presentation proposals must be submitted through the online process by the deadline in order to be considered for review.
 
Each Submission must include:
  • An abstract (200 word limitation)
  • A 50-word Presentation Summary for printing
  • An Educational Outline Summary of the presentation - review the submission site pdf walkthrough for details on what this section entails
  • A maximum of three educational objectives (including poster presentations)
Each presenter must provide:
  • Biographical information including credentials and educational background
  • Recording and Abstract Publication release forms
  • Disclosure Statement


If you are selected to present, you will be expected to sign an author agreement which states that you will comply with the listed deadlines and presenter guidelines. Failure to meet the required deadlines and presenter guidelines may result in the cancellation of your presentation and/or loss of your presenter discount. All selected presentations will be reviewed by an APNA Nurse Planner for adherence to ANCC Commission on Accreditation CE provider guidelines.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.


Format Descriptions

Not sure which presentation format will work best for your proposed session content? If you have questions, contact APNA at pblack@apna.org.

Pre-conference Sessions

Pre-conference sessions are designed to offer an in-depth learning experience about select topics. “How to…” submissions are also encouraged. Format includes 2-hour sessions. The number of attendees is limited and requires additional payment. Pre-conference sessions with more than one faculty must indicate a primary presenter. APNA will provide one complimentary full conference registration to that primary presenter of the pre-conference (to be shared among presenters if co-presenters exist). Each presenter must register for the conference by the Early Bird Deadline of August 26, 2013.

 
Concurrent Sessions

Concurrent sessions are designed for a presentation needing review or discussion of material. Presentations follow a 45-minute format that includes 10 minutes of audience discussion. APNA will provide a $100 discount on full conference registration for one presenting author. This is most commonly the primary presenter, whose contact information is entered first. This cannot be combined with any other discount. Each presenter must register for the conference by the Early Bird Deadline of August 26, 2013.


Mini Concurrent Sessions

“Mini” concurrent sessions are 20-minute presentations (plus time for audience discussion), grouped by topic/theme/category with another mini concurrent session, and presented within one 45-minute time period. APNA will provide a $100 discount on full conference registration for one presenting author of each presentation. This is most commonly the primary presenter, whose contact information is entered first. This cannot be combined with any other discount. Each presenter must register for the conference by the Early Bird Deadline of August 26, 2013.

Collaborating presentations / presenters:  During the submission for a mini concurrent session, you will have the opportunity to enter the name of another submitting author with whom you would be interested in being grouped.


Poster Presentations

Poster presentations offer an opportunity for clinical and/or scientific presentations in an interactive environment. APNA will provide a $50 discount on full conference registration for one presenting author. This is most commonly the primary presenter, whose contact information is entered first. This cannot be combined with any other discount. Each poster presenter must register for the conference by the Early Bird Deadline of August 26, 2013.

Online Poster Gallery: Abstracts of poster presentations given at the conference will be published in the Online Poster Gallery unless otherwise indicated by the presenter. Poster presenters will be asked to upload a pdf of their poster to be included in the gallery for attendee access during and after the conference. The inclusion of a poster pdf in the gallery is optional – it is not required for presentation at the conference, though highly recommended.

Poster Judging: First and second place recognition will be awarded to posters in the categories of administration, research, education, and practice. One student poster will also be recognized. Poster judges will access the poster pdfs via the Online Poster Gallery prior to the conference for scoring purposes. Presenters will need to upload their pdfs by September 9, 2013 in order to be included in the poster judging process. The inclusion of a poster pdf in the gallery is optional – it is not required for presentation at the conference. However, your poster will not be included in the judging process if you do not meet the poster pdf upload deadline.


Invited Interactive Panels (APNA Councils and Committees)

Interactive panels are not council meetings. Instead they are a venue for councils and committees to provide continuing education content specific to their domain. These are invited sessions, and are not open for submission. However, these invited speakers are required to submit their information and materials through the online submission process as well. Space is not guaranteed without presenter information and materials submission.

 
Industry Sponsored Symposium


Contact Pat Black (pblack@apna.org or 571-533-1922) for sponsor guidelines and a submission application.
 
 
Evaluation Criteria For Abstracts
 

Abstracts using standardized measures (research or QI projects) should address the following:
  • Background to the study or project (including significance to psychiatric-mental health nursing)
  • Purpose of the study or project
  • Theoretical framework (if appropriate)
  • Methods used to collect and analyze the data
  • Findings
  • Future implications (psychiatric-mental health nursing, policy, education)
 
Abstracts not using standardized measures (e.g. best practices) should address the following:
  • Problem or issue (including significance to psychiatric-mental health nursing)
  • Brief summary of findings from literature search
  • Theoretical framework (if appropriate)
  • Brief description of practice or protocol
  • Future implications (psychiatric-mental health nursing, policy, education)
 
A submission is more likely to be accepted if it is original, innovative, and contributes to the scholarly practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Quality of work, clarity and completeness of the submitted materials will be considered. The Scholarly Review Committee receives more proposals than space available. Careful attention to these criteria is likely to increase the chance for acceptance.


Submission  (Deadline: March 4, 2013)


To submit a proposal/abstract, click Submit an Abstract Proposal below.

If you experience a problem with the online submission and do not receive a Successfully Completed message, please contact SierraBay technical support and customer service at 703-669-9394, or complete the online support form at Problems, Questions, Comments?.


** When logging in, be sure to:

Enter the email address of the primary presenter. Do not enter any email address other than that of the primary presenter for communication regarding this abstract.
 

**When submitting your abstract proposal, please be sure to:

  • Choose from the following presentation options, selecting all formats for which you'd like your abstract to be reviewed: 2 hour Pre-conference, 45 minute Concurrent Session, 20 minute Mini Concurrent Session, Poster Presentation. Your abstract will be reviewed based on your presentation format selections of first choice, second choice and so on. You are still welcome to submit for only one type of presentation (ie, poster or concurrent session) in the First Choice dropdown, and it will be reviewed for that presentation type only.

Once your abstract proposal is successfully completed, you will receive an email confirmation of submission. If you do not see this in your inbox, please check your junk mailbox.
 

Notification & Presentation Confirmation


Regardless of acceptance status, an email notification will be sent to you by 5:00 pm EST on Monday, April 15, 2013.

If your abstract proposal has been accepted, you must respond with presentation confirmation by Friday, April 19th. If you do not respond by this date, the acceptance of your abstract proposal may be invalid.

** Note: All communication will be made via email. Please make sure that APNA emails will not be sent to your junk mailbox. If you do not receive an email by the notification date and time indicated, contact APNA directly regarding your abstract status.


Publication
 
If your proposal is accepted and confirmed for an oral presentation (pre-conference session, concurrent session, or mini concurrent session), your presentation summary will appear in the conference materials. Your abstract will also be posted on the APNA website.

 
Important Dates and Deadlines


March 4, 2013           
Submissions Deadline for Pre-conference Sessions, Concurrent Sessions, Mini Concurrent Sessions, Poster Presentations, Invited Interactive Panels, and Symposia

April 15, 2013
Notification emails sent to all submitters.

April 19, 2013
Presentation Confirmation Response Deadline for all accepted abstract proposals (Pre-conference Sessions, Concurrent Sessions, Mini Concurrent Sessions, Poster Presentations).

August 12, 2013   
Program Materials Deadline for presentation slides/handouts (including the necessary disclosure and permissions information), educational design form, and post test questions & answers. This is required in order to present for all pre-conference sessions, concurrent sessions, mini concurrent sessions, and invited interactive panels.

August 26, 2013
Early Bird Registration Deadline – Presenters Registration Deadline
All presenters for Pre-conference sessions, concurrent sessions, mini concurrent sessions, poster presentations, and interactive panels must be registered by this date.

September 9, 2013
Poster Pdf Upload Deadline
Poster presenters must upload a pdf of their poster to the Online Poster Gallery by this date in order to be included in the poster judging process.