Call for Abstracts

Abstract submissions are accepted through Monday, November 4, 2024 at 11:00am EST/8:00am PST

Prior to starting your submission process, please click here to review the slide show with information about the process.

All abstracts should be submitted by clicking the links at the top of the page.

All submissions must be completed electronically. No hard copies will be accepted. The system is very user-friendly and information about technical assistance is available. Please read the following instructions carefully before clicking on the links to begin an abstract submission.

All abstracts will be presented in electronic format (ePoster) with each author being able to choose to also present their work in a traditional format (paper poster). At the time of acceptance, the author must declare their intent to present in a traditional format.

Submit an abstract in one of the following categories:

Case Series

In this abstract category, author(s) will present THREE (3) cases that present a clinical challenge managed with a unique solution that pertains to wound, ostomy, continence, or foot care. The case series must be presented with the following headings:

• Statement of the Clinical Problem
• Past Management
• Current Clinical Approach
• Patient Outcomes
• Conclusions

Practice Innovation

In this abstract category, author(s) will present innovative practice changes that demonstrate a new way to approach a problem that pertains to wound, ostomy, continence, foot care or professional practice. The practice innovation must be presented with the following headings:

• Topic/Significance to Practice
• Purpose/Objectives
• Process/Replication
• Outcomes

Quality Improvement Projects should be submitted in this category.

Research Study

In this abstract category, author(s) will present original research focusing on wound, ostomy, continence, foot care or professional practice topics. Each poster must be presented with the following heading:

• Problem (or Knowledge Gap addressed by study)
• Purpose
• Study Design and Methods including data/statistical analyses
• Results including statistical significance if relevant
• Conclusion

Quality Improvement Projects should be submitted in the Practice Innovation category.

All abstracts submitted are eligible for oral or poster presentation at WOCNext 2025. Authors of top-ranking abstracts will be invited to present their findings during a general session. Those top scoring abstracts not chosen for an oral presentation will still be considered for poster presentations.

The author must submit abstracts of COMPLETED work. Previously presented work is acceptable for submission and must be disclosed. Duplicate abstracts published in previous JWOCN Scientific and Clinical Abstracts will not be accepted.

Abstract submission implies that the primary/corresponding author has the consent of all authors and has obtained necessary institutional clearances. Only authors who have completed work on the project may be included. ALL AUTHORS MUST BE ADDED AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION. Please keep in mind that if the abstract is accepted, it is published in a supplement of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing.

Please provide appropriate symbols and references and secure all permissions if dealing with copyrighted material and/or patents. This is solely the author(s) responsibility to secure these permissions. The WOCN^® Society has no responsibility whatsoever in securing these permissions.

Please give credit to all references used in the development of the abstract/poster. Oversight of references may result in abstract/poster rejection.

Each abstract must include 1-3 references. References must be cited in AMA format. If you are unsure as to how to cite in AMA format, please consult an internet source such as:

• https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/ama_style/index.html
• https://www.mybib.com/tools/ama-citation-generator
• https://umc.libguides.com/citations/ama
• https://libguides.usc.edu/c.php?g=293795&p=1956824

Please provide all information requested during the on-line submission process. Noncompliance with the instructions will result in immediate rejection. Please keep in mind the following:

• Only the names of authors who have completed work on the study/project may be included. All authors must be submitted at the time the abstract is submitted. Authors listed on the abstract at time of submission should be the same as those listed on the poster.
• The title for the presentation should inform the reader of the subject matter.
• Limit the abstract to 300 words, single-spaced. Title, author, and references are not included in the word count. Please be sure that your abstract describes the work performed.
• A minimum of three (3) patients are required for the "Case Series" abstract category.
• No images or photos can be included in the abstract.
• Abstracts should be submitted to their appropriate category. Those submitted to an incorrect category cannot be properly be reviewed and thus will not be accepted.
• The abstract will be blind-reviewed, so please make sure that neither author(s) name(s) nor institutional affiliations appear in the body of the abstract text. Use generic descriptions of settings.
• At least one and no more than three references in AMA style are required. There is a separate area to provide references.
• PRODUCT OR DEVICE BRAND NAMES MUST NOT BE INCLUDED IN YOUR ABSTRACT- NO EXCEPTIONS. Please provide only the generic name in the body of the abstract.

The review process is completed by individuals from the WOCN^® Society's National Conference Planning Committee and content/research experts. Abstracts are blind reviewed (meaning that the person who reads and rates an abstract does not know the name of the author). Abstracts are then accepted or rejected based on an average of several scores.

The numerical rankings for the different criteria of an abstract are then averaged and used to decide to accept or reject the abstract.

All abstracts are reviewed for compliance with the above instructions. The abstract reviewers will use the following criteria to score each abstract:

Case Series Abstracts

1. Statement of Clinical Problem: is the clinical problem/challenge clearly articulated and relevant to WOC nursing practice? Is relevant clinical data included (age, gender, primary related diagnosis, and relevant comorbidities)? Is the significance to practice described?
2. Description of Past Management: is the duration of the clinical problem stated? Are past management approaches and patient response described?
3. Current Clinical Approach: is the management plan and any changes made to it described along with rationale?
4. Patient Outcomes: is the patient response described, including time frame for response, objective and subjective data?
5. Are there are least 3 patients included, unless a very specific or unusual case or technology is used?
6. Conclusions: are clinical implications identified along with limitations? Has the author limited conclusions to this case only, without generalization to general population?

Practice Innovation Abstracts

1. Topic: is the topic significant to wounds, ostomy, continence, foot care and/or professional practice?
2. Purpose: is the purpose clearly stated? Is a description included that identifies the need for the practice innovation?
3. Process/Replication in Practice: does the description provide clear details that would allow replication in practice?
4. Outcomes: are the outcomes that relate to the problem and objective(s) included? Are the key measures or indicators used to evaluate the outcomes described?
5. Clarity: is the abstract well written? Are ideas clearly communicated?

Research Abstracts

1. Topic: problem or gap in knowledge is identified and is significant to wounds, ostomy, continence, foot care, and/or professional practice.
2. Purpose: is the purpose/objective clearly stated?
3. Methodology: are the methods described and appropriate?
4. Statistics: have appropriate statistical methods been used?
5. Results: are the results presented in sufficient detail to address the research questions or aim?
6. Conclusion: are conclusions supported by data presented in the abstract?
7. Clarity: is the abstract well written? Are ideas clearly communicated?

Abstracts receiving the highest scores will be accepted for poster presentations only. Notification will be sent in December 2024.

Primary authors of the abstracts selected for oral and poster presentations will be notified in December 2024.

Upon notification of acceptance, authors are required to respond within the required timeframe with intent or refusal to present. Only abstracts with intention to present at WOCNext will be published in the JWOCN. The presenting author(s) will have a deadline to register for WOCNext. If the presenting author fails to register, the paper will be withdrawn from the supplement and from the event.

All accepted abstracts will be published in a supplement to the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), which will include each abstract's author and author affiliation. The email address of all author(s) will also be included.

Before publication in the supplement all abstracts are reviewed for content. The WOCN^® Society reserves the right to make minor edits to the abstract; such as, the correct use of the term WOCN^® Society and WOC nurse. If there are more complex changes that need to be made the primary author will be notified.

The WOCN^® Society invites all authors to submit their abstract (not mandatory) in the form of a manuscript to the JWOCN for later publication. Information regarding the process for manuscript submission to the JWOCN can be found on the JWOCN website under the "For Authors" section. This is not a requirement that must be fulfilled before presenting at WOCNext.

Oral Presentations

If the abstract is chosen for oral presentation, only the primary author will make the presentation. Oral presentations must be made in-person. Time for oral presentations will vary and will be communicated to authors well in advance of the date of the presentation.

ePosters

All abstracts will be presented in electronic format (ePoster) with each author being able to choose to also present their work in a traditional hard copy format this year. At time of acceptance, the author must declare if they intend to also present in a traditional hard copy format. Click here for more information on ePosters.

Poster Presentations

All authors must be at their posters on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 8:00 am - 9:00 am. Poster Merit Awards for the top abstract in each category will be announced during the Abstracts General Session on Monday, June 2, 2025 at 9:40 am.

Please note the maximum size of a paper poster cannot be larger than the board provided at the conference center which is 4' x 8'. Supplies for mounting posters will be available. Notification will be sent as to the location of the poster session and the times for set up in advance of WOCNext. Review the 2025 Poster Guidelines here.

No Contact Hours with Posters

All posters in the meeting abstract site/displayed in the Poster Hall at WOCNext 2025 will be Non-ANCC Contact Hour posters. This means that no ANCC Contact Hours will be awarded for any abstracts/posters in 2025.

Onsite Poster Review

At least one author must register to attend WOCNext 2025 (in person or virtually) by Friday, February 14, 2025.