Developing a Professional Poster

Abstract

Professional posters play an important role in the dissemination of knowledge and the professional development of advanced practice nurses, graduate students, and clinical faculty. Posters should be considered an integral component in communication of professional work in practice, research, and education. The invitation to submit a poster abstract is an important opportunity for clinicians and faculty alike to consider. Though sometimes misperceived as less prestigious than a podium presentation, posters add a unique element to professional and academic events. The argument is made for posters as an equal among scholarly presentation formats. The poster serves as a tremendous opportunity for collaboration between partners and a way to communicate important findings and advertise the presenters' work. For the advanced practice nurse who is a novice in presenting best practice or evidence from research trials, the poster format may be less intimidating while allowing the invaluable sharing of results. Four critical elements of professional poster development are deciding on a clear Purpose, targeting the right People, outlining key steps in the Process, and delivering a memorable Presentation. Using the "4 Ps" as cornerstones for the work of developing, preparing, and delivering the poster to an audience, the authors aim to help organize the entire process into these essential considerations. The poster, as a means of scholarly work, is a viable and essential activity, as interdisciplinary collaboration and sharing of best practice becomes the expectation for all professional development.

Successful design and delivery of a professional poster

“…Posters can stand alone or be combined with other presentation formats; use of imagery instead of words can be powerful; messages conveyed are continuous and constant, which increase reliability; many view a poster simultaneously; and poster sessions are time and space efficient (Berg, ). Poster presentations facilitate collegial networking while fulfilling the stated outcomes of professional meetings and conferences (Bindon & Davenport, ). Novice presenters may find developing poster content less intimidating than writing a manuscript.…”

“…However, if you do use blocks of text, the width of the text box should be approximately 45–65 characters, as longer or shorter are harder to read quickly (Purrington, ). Each element presented in text should be restricted to 50 words or less (Bindon & Davenport, ). Limit the use of acronyms as the title of the poster is important to viewers and should be centered at the top and followed by placing author(s) and affiliation(s) directly underneath the title.…”

“…Color is important for a poster presentation (Berg, ; Bindon & Davenport, ; Purrington, ). Colors are powerful tools for communicating hot to cold.…”

“…Plus, reams of text on a poster deter potential audiences (Roe & Ilic, ). Imagery such as photos, bar graphs, pie charts, and other graphics can replace text and provide a picture of the work (Bindon & Davenport, ). Market studies show that communication effectiveness is increased 40%–50% when a visual, such as a graphic image, is added as people retain visual images far longer than the written word (U.S. Department of Energy, ).…”

“…Contemporary conference planners tend to schedule more poster sessions than oral sessions, as this is an efficient way to provide more opportunities for professionals to present creative works (American College of Physicians [ACP], ). Instructions on how to design and create posters are essential for professional development of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), students, and faculty (Bindon & Davenport, ). This professional skill is generally absent from APRN curricula; therefore, acquisition of the skill must occur in other arenas.…”