Celebrating successes through poster presentation

Abstract

THINK ABOUT ALL of the hard work that went into your first research proposal. You were asked to revise, revise, and revise. Many revisions and consultations were required to make the proposal sound correct and reasonable. Finally, it was accepted. Next, the internal review board application arrived; a thick application with so many forms to complete. During the long wait, you were anxious and hopeful it would be approved without any additional questions and revisions. Providing an instructional or educational guide to members of the research team, and obtaining informed consent from the subjects followed. Last of all, the data collection was completed and data analysis began. Analysis was performed, sometimes with assistance from a statistician. What was the final result? A completed research study. After all of your hard work, you cannot stop when the results are tabulated and analyzed. It is time to present your successful project to others. You can use this opportunity to share information with colleagues, educate others, disseminate results and findings, and pat yourself on the back and brag about the hard work you have accomplished. The key to the development and growth of the nursing profession is the dissemination of research findings. Sharing clinical outcomes and research findings is one way to build or increase knowledge in nursing. A poster presentation is the final step in a research project that may have taken months or years to complete. It uses an interactive approach in a relaxed and informal setting. Audiovisual strategies such as poster presentations are always helpful modes of educational instruction. Remember your school days? As a young school-aged child, you most likely were required to complete a poster presentation for a science project. Was it hard to do? What did you use as materials? Simple—you just used paper, scissors, a ruler, colored pencils, and paste. Once again, your creativity in how to make a poster that speaks for itself becomes an instructional reality. It includes the use of cut-up pictures, letters cut out from a magazine, or computergenerated materials. To support your work and to add artistry, include pictures from clip art, books, media sources, or flow charts. Graphics can be simple or complex, photographic or diagrammatic, or even incorporate the new technology of a computer-generated product. A poster presentation can be an effective way of transmitting a repetitive, continuous message, or it can serve as a resource for educational purposes. A poster presentation is an alternative to a podium presentation. It presents information in a visual form that provides an intimate forum for exchange of information or discussion between the presenter and the viewer. It can be inexpensive and easy, and is no more time-consuming than any instructional preparation. It is an accepted approach to a more formal educational presentation and a significant part of local, regional, national, and international nursing conferences. It is also economical because it can be used over again for other purposes. Information presented on posters is rapidly transmitted and can be used simultaneously by many audiences. The audience members can pace themselves in reading and understanding the message portrayed. Poster presentations usually do not have the