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APNA Annual Conference Call for Abstracts

The Call for Abstracts opens soon!

Psychiatric-Mental Health RNs and APRNs in administration, education, practice, and research are invited to share their science-based insights, projects, and scholarship. Abstracts will be peer reviewed by the APNA Scholarly Review Committee and considered for a variety of presentation formats.


Conference Theme

Empowered to Innovate and Collaborate: PMH Nurses Shaping Care Excellence

Conference Learning Outcomes

  • Identify successful strategies to innovate and collaborate that will promote excellence in PMH nursing practice, education, administration, and research.
  • Advance PMH nurses as leaders in care excellence.

 

Overview Submission Acceptance & Notification  Publication Deadlines Abstract Toolkit

Overview

Abstracts from all levels of practice and areas of expertise are encouraged!

Abstracts undergo peer-review by three members of the APNA Scholarly Review Committee (SRC). Your submission is more likely to be accepted if it is original, innovative, and contributes to the practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Quality of work, clarity and completeness of the submitted materials are considered.

Please carefully read the below information.


Your abstract submission must include:

Authors
Your information and that of any co-authors, including qualifications for presenting on the proposed topic and any disclosures of relevant financial relationships. (See below for more.)

Title
Short and catchy but also reflecting what you’ll present is recommended.

Presentation Format
Rank your desired presentation format(s) in order of preference or select N/A to not be considered for a particular format. Review the format descriptions and complete the fields for the selected type(s) of presentation as indicated.

Abstract
No more than 250 words total across all sections of your abstract.

  • Administration, education or practice abstracts must include: the professional practice gap, summary of the evidence, description of the practice change or intervention, validation of the evidence or method of evaluation, relevance to PMH nursing, and future implications
  • Research abstracts must include: the professional practice gap, theoretical framework, methods and design, results, implications for PMH nursing practice, and future implications

One Learning Outcome
This applies to all formats, including poster presentations. We recommend using Bloom’s Taxonomy action verbs.

Educational Summary
What you’ll present (e.g. case studies) and how you’ll engage your audience (e.g. discussion, role play, polling.)

Presentation Summary
For the registration brochure and conference program on the website, let attendees know what you’ll present in 50 words or less.

Note: 3 current evidence-based references within the past 5-7 years will be required with your presentation materials, so be sure to build your proposed presentation with that in mind.

Detailed step-by-step submission instructions


Each listed author must provide:

  • Biographical information including credentials and educational background
  • Recording and abstract publication release forms
  • Disclosure Statement

If selected to present, you will be required to sign a presenter agreement stating 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 are reviewed by an APNA Nurse Planner for adherence to ANCC Commission on Accreditation NCPD provider guidelines.

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

Submission

All abstracts must be submitted via the APNA submission site. You will log in with your APNA username and password to begin your submission. If you do not have an APNA account, click ‘Create Account’ on the login screen to create one. Once you are logged in, go to My Dashboard to begin your submission. Step-by-Step Instructions

When submitting your abstract proposal, be sure to: Indicate a unique choice for each presentation format. Your abstract will be reviewed based on your selections of first choice, second choice, and so on. Select N/A if you do not want your abstract reviewed under that presentation format. To submit for only one type of presentation, select that format as your First Choice and then select N/A for the rest.

To complete your abstract, press the Submit FINAL proposal button. Once your abstract proposal is submitted, you will receive an email confirmation of submission from APNA Annual Conference (inform@apna.org). If you do not see it, please check your junk mailbox.

Acceptance & Notification

Regardless of acceptance status, an email notification will be sent to you mid-April 2025.

If you are selected to present, you are required to sign a presenter 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. Note that evidence-based references are required for all presentations.

You must confirm your presentation via the online Presenter Agreement (link in notification email) within one week of notification, so please ensure that APNA and emails from the submission sit are not sent to your junk mailbox. If you do not respond by this date, the acceptance of your abstract proposal may be withdrawn. If you do not receive an email by the notification date, contact APNA directly regarding your abstract status. You will be required to confirm acceptance within one week.

All selected presentations will be reviewed by an APNA Nurse Planner for adherence to ANCC Commission on Accreditation NCPD provider guidelines. An APNA Nurse Planner will reach out if additional program materials are needed or to inform you if your presentation has not been accepted. If you do not hear from us, your presentation and materials have been approved, and no further action is required.

Abstract Publication

  • Podium presentation (pre-conference session, concurrent session, or mini concurrent session) summaries will appear in conference materials. Only presenting authors listed in the submission site will be included. Authors not listed as “presenting author” will not be published in conference materials (this is related to nursing continuing professional development requirements).
  • Podium presentation abstracts may be shared in APNA communications.
  • Final podium presentations from the conference may be published in the APNA eLearning Center.
  • The Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA) may publish podium presentation abstracts in one or more of its bi-monthly issues. All entered authors (presenting and not presenting) will be included.
  • Abstracts of poster presentations given at the conference will be published in the Online Poster Gallery. All entered authors (presenting and not presenting) will be included in the Online Poster Gallery.

Deadlines

  • March 3, 2025

    Abstract Submission Deadline for Pre-conference Sessions, Concurrent Sessions, Mini Concurrent Sessions, Poster Presentation proposals

  • Mid-April 2025

    Notification emails sent to all submitters.

  • May 2025

    Podium Presenters will receive an email with their session’s placement in the conference schedule.

  • May 20, 2025

    Podium Presenter Information Call – 1pm Eastern / 12pm Central / 11am Mountain / 10am Pacific

  • May 21, 2025

    Poster Presenter Information Call – 1pm Eastern / 12pm Central / 11am Mountain / 10am Pacific

  • June 2025

    Conference Registration Opens
    Primary presenters of conference presentations (both podium and poster) will receive an email with a discount code.

  • July 28, 2025

    Program Materials Deadline for podium presentation slides/handouts (including the necessary disclosure and permissions information), educational design form, multiple choice post test questions & answers, and rationale for correct answers. This is required in order to present for all pre-conference sessions, concurrent sessions, and mini concurrent sessions. Program materials are submitted via the abstracts submission site (including permissions for logos/images).

  • August 4, 2025

    Program Materials Deadline for poster presentations. Poster presenters must upload a PDF of their poster and appropriate permissions by this date in order to be reviewed for contact hours purposes and included in the poster judging process. Submit permissions for all images used on the poster. Posters without permissions cannot be included in the Poster Gallery. Instructions will be sent in mid-to-late July.

  • September 3, 2025

    Early Bird Registration Deadline – Presenters Registration Deadline for all presenters (primary presenters and co-presenters) for pre-conference sessions, concurrent sessions, mini concurrent sessions, and poster presentations.

  • October 15-18, 2025

    Travel to New Orleans, LA, and present at the in-person Annual Conference!