How to write a poster for a conference

You might think that writing a poster would be easier than writing an abstract as there are fewer words, but presenting your information visually in a way that engages your audience is a very different process. It is also important to remember that while you are likely to have an opportunity during the conference to present and discuss your poster and its content, it may also be viewed digitally via conference apps or websites, or at points during the conference when you’re not present, so it is vital that it contains all the information that the reader needs. A poster can be a good introduction to presenting work at conferences for nurses who are not experienced at this (Bindon and Davenport, 2013).

What type of poster are you writing?

Depending on the type of conference you are attending, you might be writing an academic research poster (Figure 1), which focusses on presenting research findings, methods and results, or a professional poster, which details innovative practice, quality improvement initiatives, a case series or evidence-based projects in the clinical setting (Figure 2).
 

Figure 1. Research poster presented at BAUN conference

Figure 2. Research poster presented at BAUN conference 2024.

Whichever type you are writing, be sure that you are clear about exactly what you want your reader to take from the poster before you begin writing. Do you want them to be able to understand how you did your study and what the results were, or do you want them to see clearly what change in practice you made and how it has impacted your patients? That way, you can keep referring back to this idea and keep yourself on track (Global Conference, 2023).
 
A research poster will be structured in much the same way as a research paper, with introduction, methods, results and conclusions (Figure 1), whereas a clinical poster may have more options for innovative presentation of the findings (Figure 2).
 
The conference you are writing the poster for may have pre-prepared templates that they either require or prefer that you use – if so, you will be sent details of how to access, use and submit these. If they don’t have such requirements, it might be worth looking at some pre-designed poster templates in Microsoft PowerPoint or other software – there are plenty available online and they should help you ensure that your poster meets the requirements. Make sure your poster is easy to read by using clear fonts in contrasting colours.

Illustrations, graphs and images

A poster gives you the opportunity to think about the visual presentation of your methods and results – could you use flowcharts or graphs to show readers how you carried out your research? If your research was clinically focussed, can you include clinical photos to show the before and after of your intervention – this will stick in readers minds more clearly than a table of numbers (although the data may be important as well). It is important to find a balance between text and images, making sure that your poster is both visually appealing and engaging.
 
Graphs can be an easy way of demonstrating the difference that an intervention has made. Line graphs can be used to show changes over time or to compare different variables, while bar graphs show the differences between groups or categories. Pie charts can be used to represent percentages or proportions. Graphs and charts should always be clearly labelled, including the axes and any units, shouldn’t use abbreviations, and should have a concise accompanying explanation of what they show.
 
If you are using images, make sure that you have patient consent for clinical images, and that you don’t break any copyright rules if you’re using images found online. Use royalty-free or Creative Commons-licensed images, or create your own figures using software like Canva.
 
If the work you are presenting was done while you worked at a particular organisation or trust, you may need to include appropriate branding on your poster, i.e. the logo of the trust or any supporting company.

Biography

Make sure you include a brief biography of yourself and any other authors to highlight your expertise and relevant qualifications. If your poster has additional authors, list their names in the appropriate order. Typically, the primary author is listed first, followed by the co-authors in order of their contribution to the project. It is helpful to give your email address so that any interested readers can contact you if they want further information about the work you are doing.

 

Final points
Before submitting your poster

• Check the conference organiser’s guidelines for the following:
• Review the specifications for file format, dimensions and limitations on file size (if being presented as an eposter at an event, the guidance may well advise that it is portrait oriented, i.e. easier to read on a device)
• Make sure all the content (including graphs and images) is clear and readable
• Double-check for spelling and formatting issues
• Save the poster with a clear and descriptive name (if the format hasn’t been specified by the organiser)

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References

Bindon SL, Davenport JM (2013) Developing a Professional Poster: Four “Ps” for Advanced Practice Nurses to Consider. AACN Adv Crit Care 24(2): 169–176. https://doi.org/10.4037/NCI.0b013e318287a3fb

Global Conference (2023) How To Make A Poster For A Nursing Conference? https://globalconference.ca/how-to-make-a-poster-for-a-nursing-conference/ (accessed 31 March 2025)