Important Information for Submitting an Abstract

To Get Started

  1. Read the Abstract Submission Policies. This information should help you determine if the PCNA Annual Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium is a good fit for your abstract.
  2. Read the Abstract Submission Guidelines. These details outline the submission content that will be requested.

Awards & Publication

  • Two outstanding written abstracts (one in each category) will be selected for oral presentations. Winners will receive a $250 award and deliver a 10-minute oral presentation to participants during the program.
  • During the Symposium, a first, second, or third place ribbon will be placed on winning posters. A $250 award will be given to the first-place winners in each category.
  • Both oral presenters and all first, second and third place winners will be recognized during General Sessions and published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 

Key Dates

  • September 4, 2020: Call for Abstracts opens
  • December 4, 2020: Call for Abstracts closes
  • January 27, 2021: Authors notified of decision
  • April 8-9, 2021: Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium

Submission Policies

  • Only original abstracts will be considered (not previously published or presented prior to submitting to PCNA)
  • Submission of an abstract constitutes a commitment by the author to present a poster at PCNA’s 27th Annual Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium.
  • Submission of an abstract constitutes a commitment by each author to sign a copyright transfer to the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.
  • Any author may not be the first author on more than one submission.
  • Any investigator may not present more than two posters.
  • Industry representatives (i.e. from device/pharmaceutical/food companies) cannot be the first author on any submitted abstracts.
  • Industry-related presenters may have a post in the General Poster Sessions but are not eligible for being published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing or providing an oral presentation.
  • The deadline for submission is December 4, 2020. Submissions received after this date will not be accepted for review.

Submission Guidelines

  • In the full abstract, please list full names, followed by degrees/credentials, employer, phone, fax and city/state for each author.
  • Be sure that street address, zip code, and grant support are NOT listed in abstracts.
  • The abstract itself may not exceed a word count of 300, including tables. The 300-word limit does not include the title or author(s) information.
  • Original Research and Innovative Projects must have empirical evidence. PCNA will not accept case studies and literature reviews.
  • When using abbreviations, spell out in full in the first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.
  • Check accuracy of spelling, grammar, and punctuation: your poster abstract will appear in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing exactly as you submit it. Thus, any errors, misspellings, incorrect hyphenations, or deviations from good grammatical usage will appear in the published abstract.
  • If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation within 24 hours after submitting your abstract online, it is your responsibility to contact the PCNA National Office to make sure we have received your submission.

Selection Process

The PCNA Abstract Review Committee will make selections using a blind review process.

Grading Criteria for Each Category

Original Research


Including research that reports data from existing data sets or original basic, clinical, or population-level research.

Innovation in Patient Care


Including, but not limited to, quality and process improvement projects, patient education/counseling programs, and creative approaches to patient and system-focused programs

  1. The investigation should be based on original concepts and provide important new data.

  2. The topic should be relevant to the theme of the meeting and/or mission of PCNA.

  3. The study design and methodology of the research project should be appropriate.

  4. The abstract should include complete data (mentioning that the results will be presented at the meeting is unsatisfactory).

  5. The findings should be factual, unique, useful, and appropriate to the PCNA audience.

  6. The conclusions should be valid.

  7. The abstract should be well written (i.e., clear and easy to understand).


  1. The innovative project/program should be based on original concepts and provide new insights into efficient, effective patient care strategies.

  2. The topic should be relevant to the theme of the meeting and/or mission of PCNA.

  3. The description/design and implementation of the project/program/innovation should be clearly presented.

  4. The abstract should include complete information or outcomes (mentioning that the results will be presented at the meeting is unsatisfactory).

  5. The outcomes should be innovative, feasible, clearly described, and appropriate to the PCNA audience.

  6. The evaluation and implications should be valid.

  7. The abstract should be well written (i.e., clear and easy to understand).

The following components are required in each abstract:

  • Background summary

  • Statement of specific objectives/study aims

  • Description of design & methods, including measurements

  • Summary of the results obtained

  • Statement of the conclusions

  • Implications for practice

The following components are required in each abstract:

  • Background summary

  • Purpose/problem being addressed

  • Description of the design/implementation of the project/program/innovation

  • Evaluation and outcomes

  • Statement of the conclusions

  • Implications for practice

Submit Your Abstract
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