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1 6 | T H E C O N N E C T I O N • W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 F E A T U R E P oster presentations are a great opportunity to improve access to new and innovative devel- opments in nursing science for healthcare providers. A well-designed poster offers clear, concise and timely insight about investigative projects and allows the presenter to effectively engage with their audience. 1 The value is determined by how effectively its findings are communicated. With limits on the amount of information you can share, an effective poster needs well- planned, accurate and concise material. The following tips can help you meet this goal. Create a Well-Planned Timeline This is essential for first-time poster presentations and will be furthered refined by presenters as they gain experience. The timeline requires some investigation and planning, but the key is to work your timeline backward. Identify your presentation date, then determine where you plan to have your poster printed and research how long they require for printing and shipping, if applicable. After allotting for this time, identify a peer or mentor who will review your poster. Determine how much review time is needed so you can allot a few days of editing in your timeline. If you are able to avoid the stress of rushing to get your poster prepared, reviewed and printed on time, it makes for a much more enjoyable experience. As you present more, you will refine this timeline, but in the beginning, allow adequate time. Plan Your Poster Format Check to see if your institution has a standard template for poster pre- sentations; if not, a peer may be able to provide a template for you. Most posters are built as a single PowerPoint slide with standard templates that make design easier. 2 It is crucial that you review the poster guidelines provided by the organization hosting your presenta- tion. Often the organization's guidelines will have certain size limitations and topic areas to address. Be sure to leave adequate white space when creating your poster for maximum readability. 3 Engage Your Left Brain Creative communication counts. Develop a title that represents your work and catches the audience's attention. Incorporate graphic repre- sentations of data, models or pictures that communicate your key points. You want to draw the audience in, and informative graphic representations do so effectively. 4 A visual image allows your content to be remembered longer so one well-placed visual image can be useful in conveying your content. 3 Recognize that you are on a slippery slope. You don't want your poster to look too crowded with unnecessary information. Be brief and clear with text on your slide. Your goal is to draw in your audience and then impress them with how well you can speak to the information you've presented. Avoid the Potholes Limit your word choice and use of technical jargon. While you are undoubtedly familiar with your topic and comfortable with the abbreviations specific to your area of interest, your audience may miss your key points because they are not familiar with the terminology you are using. This can also happen when you present complicated numbers or graphs that are difficult for a novice in your area of expertise to follow. Lastly, proofreading your poster is essential. While you have already built peer review in your time- line, you must proofread your material. Errors are so painful in 36-point font displayed on a poster board. The more people you can have proof your poster, the better. Choose fonts carefully, Arial and Tahoma fonts tend to be more readable in poster format. 3 Once your poster is submitted, celebrate your invitation to present! Remember, you have something important to say, so practice your oral presentation. Recognize the importance of engaging your colleagues in making new information available. Poster pre- sentations have evolved into a globally recognized communication medium for sharing developments in science. Your poster may be the spark to encourage others to develop more ideas that help advance nursing science! References 1. Halligan P. Poster presentations: Valuing all forms of evidence. Nurse Educ Pract. 2008;8:41-45.doi:10.1016/j. nepr.2007.02.005. 2. McClendon KS, Stover KR. Tips for a successful poster presentation. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2014;71:449-451. doi:10.2146/ajhp130116 3. Sherman, RO. How to create an efective poster presentation. Am Nurse Today. 2010;13-15. 4. McNutt M. It starts with a poster. Science. 2015; 347(6226):1047.doi:10.1126/science.aab0014. Poster Presentation Tactics and Tips Jennifer D. Viveiros, PhD, RN • Lecturer University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA E d u c a t i o n aahfn.org/educationcenter