A poster has about a minute to earn a passer-by, and then it supports a conversation. The aim is to show your project clearly at a glance, with the detail held back for questions. This guide covers layout, text limits, figures and how to handle the Q and A.
Before you open a template, read the instructions. Venues set the size and orientation (often an inch-based or A-series size), whether the poster is printed or electronic, file type, and sometimes a required section list or a logo policy. Sizes and word limits vary widely, so the numbers on this page are common habits, not rules. Follow the venue's requirements over any general advice, including this page.
Readers move left to right and top to bottom, so arrange the sections in that order, in columns. Most posters need these blocks: a title with author names and affiliations; background or problem; purpose or aim; methods; results; discussion and implications; conclusions; references and acknowledgements. Keep the title short and informative, and make it readable from a few feet away.
| Element | Common practice |
|---|---|
| Text amount | Often 300 to 800 words in total; less is usually better |
| Title | Largest text on the poster |
| Body text | Large enough to read at a short distance, commonly 24 point or more |
| Space | Generous margins and gaps between blocks |
| Colour | Two or three, with strong contrast for text |
Use bullets and short sentences, and cut anything that does not serve the central message. If your program supplies a template, use it.
Sketch on paper first. A quick thumbnail with a box for each section shows where the largest figure will go and how much text each block can hold. Then draft the words to fit the boxes, not the other way around.
Send your abstract, the venue template and the deadline. The ProNursingScholars team can help you cut and lay out the content. Details stay confidential.
Let one strong figure carry the results, such as a run chart, bar chart or a small table of before and after values, rather than several dense ones. Label axes and units, give sample sizes, and state whether a target was met. Put a caption or a one-line takeaway beside each figure. Keep all patient, staff and facility identifiers out, including small cell counts. For citation format of borrowed figures or tables, see APA tables and figures.
Include a brief reference list and an acknowledgement of the practice site, if agreed. An optional QR code can link to a fuller report or handout, if the venue allows.
Prepare a two-minute summary that opens with the problem, states what you did and what you found, and ends with what should change. Expect questions on your sample size, how you chose the measure, what you would do differently, whether the change lasted, and how it would work in another setting. Write down honest answers, including about limitations. Bring a short handout or business card for those who want more, and note the questions you cannot answer so you can follow up. The dissemination plan guide shows where posters fit among other ways of sharing your work.
Fictional poster on a nurse-led telehealth follow-up project. Numbers are invented.
| Weak (results block) | Strong (results block) |
|---|---|
| Following implementation of the telehealth follow-up protocol, statistical analysis of the data collected over the project period showed that there were improvements in a number of areas, including follow-up completion, and it was also observed that patient and staff feedback was generally positive across multiple domains. | Follow-up within 7 days: 48% before, 71% after (n = 156). Target: 80%, not met. Missed most often after weekend discharges. [Run chart of weekly rates, with baseline and implementation periods labelled.] |
The strong block gives the number, the comparison, the target and one pattern, with a figure doing the heavy lifting. The weak block is a paragraph nobody will stop to read.
If most viewers would need to stop and read paragraphs, there is too much. Check the venue for a limit and aim well below it.
Some venues use printed posters and others use electronic displays. Read the submission notes, including printing deadlines.
Only with the right permission or a suitable licence, and with attribution. When in doubt, draw your own graphics.
A poster supports many short conversations while a talk is one continuous story to a seated audience. The abstract guide, structured abstract, covers the text that usually accompanies either.