Communication Across the Profession, Coursework Example

Introduction

Nurses largely benefit from the development of new perspectives that are acquired through presentations at professional nursing conferences. The ability to speak and/or present posters at these conferences is an honor and a privilege for many nurses, as it provides an opportunity to share new knowledge or existing knowledge in an innovative manner. These perspectives are critical in the ability of nurses to gain experience in public speaking and presenting to large audiences. Preparing for a conference presentation is a challenging task, as it requires expert knowledge of the subject matter and the ability to remain focused throughout the presentation without exhibiting excessive nerves. Experts in a given field are lauded for their abilities in presenting knowledge in new and interesting ways; therefore, it is important to recognize these skills and to implement them into any presentation that is given in a public setting. Nurses who present at conferences must be sufficiently prepared and have master knowledge of the material in order to achieve the desired level of interest and to meet personal and professional expectations.

Analysis

Nurses who present at conferences either through public speaking or poster presentations must be able to answer questions regarding the subject in great detail. This is perhaps both a benefit and a deterrent for some nurses, particularly if they are not knowledge experts. Therefore, this serves to discourage those without expert knowledge from presenting the material to larger audiences. It is important to recognize that nurses serve as stewards of the field and are required to be experts in their knowledge area of focus if they are representing the field in a public forum. This is a challenging and often daunting task, yet it provides the motivation that is required to be engaging and demonstrate expertise in the topic of choice.

Nurses who present posters at conferences, for example, are required to follow the required guidelines accordingly to obtain acceptance of the poster prior to the conference (Russell and Good, 2011). Furthermore, they are required to sufficiently prepare for the poster by obtaining the required information well in advance, as this will enable the poster to be of the best possible quality and caliber for evaluation (Russell and Good, 2011). It is important to identify the resources that are required to ensure that the poster meets its expected potential, including adequate preparation and use of materials (Russell and Good, 2011). These factors will play a positive role in supporting the value of the poster presentation and its potential impact on the desired audience (Russell and Good, 2011).

Most importantly, preparation is critical to the success of a poster presentation or a speaking engagement at a conference, and this will generate support and interest in the topic and focus (Lynch, 2014). A poster presentation, for example, should provide knowledge-based evidence of the subject, including an abstract, methods, findings, and implications, among other factors (Lynch, 2014). The poster should also reflect an interesting perspective of the topic and perhaps provide visuals in the form of color photos or graphs to enhance the presentation’s visual appeal (Lynch, 2014). These factors are instrumental in attracting attention to the presentation and the topic in question, and may also be reflected in positive feedback regarding the topic and the presenter (Lynch, 2014). If the conference has identified a specific theme, a poster might be related to that theme to add even greater interest in the topic (Lynch, 2014).

A conference presentation that involves public speaking requires expert knowledge of the topic, in addition to an understanding of the makeup of the target audience, as this will play a role in determining the level of impact that the presentation might have (The Ohio State University, 2014). With any presentation, the message must be clear and concise and fully represent the ideas under consideration, while also demonstrating the desired research focus (The Ohio State University, 2014).  Presenters must exhibit a sense of calm and adequate preparation in order to maintain audience interest, along with a level of confidence that is necessary to support the topic and that will carry the presenter through the question and answer section (The Ohio State University, 2014). Perhaps most important is to keep the presentation interesting and engaging, perhaps using real-life situations to breathe life into the presentation and to allow the audience to relate to the topic more effectively (The Ohio State University, 2014). However, it is also essential for the presenter to have knowledge of the type of research study or premise that was conducted so that any questions regarding the presentation might be addressed with supporting theoretical knowledge and evidence (Burns and Grove, 2011).

Conclusion

Nurses who gain valuable experience in their roles are likely to obtain expert knowledge in one or more areas of research throughout their nursing career. Therefore, they are often called upon or seek to present at professional conferences in the form of poster presentations or public speaking events. These situations require nurses to demonstrate expert knowledge of the chosen topic, along with a strong degree of understanding of the theory and evidence behind the topic. It is important for nurses to be sufficiently prepared well in advance of the presentation so that they are able to provide knowledge and information that is interesting, insightful, innovative, and creative to the target audience. Presenters should be engaging, should not demonstrate a high degree of nervousness, and should be adequately prepared to address question and answers regarding the presentation without difficulty. These techniques are essential to the successful delivery of a poster or podium presentation at a professional conference in order to gain adequate awareness and recognition for the work that is being performed.

References

Burns, N., and Grove, S.K. (2011). Understanding Nursing Research, 5^th Edition. Saunders.

Lynch, J.P. (2014). How to…prepare a poster presentation for nurses. Nurse.com, retrieved from http://news.nurse.com/article/20140113/NY01/140111014

The Ohio State University (2014). How to prepare a podium presentation. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.osu.edu/research/clinicalcare/nursing/nursing_research/pages/how-to-prepare-a-podium-presentation.aspx

Russell, C. L. (2011). Developing A Professional Poster Presentation. The International

Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) www. itns. org< http://itns. org. Accessed June, 2, 2013.