SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT

GENERAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION AND DEADLINES

Submit your abstract now for the 51st Annual ONS Congress.

ONS is accepting abstracts in the following categories:

• Evidence Based Practice/Quality Improvement
• Research (Reviewed by PhD-prepared nurses)
• Industry Supported (Non-NCPD)

Unsure if your abstract should be submitted in the Evidence Based Practice/Quality Improvement or Research category? Review this document for more information.

During the submission process, you will also select a subcategory that best describes your abstract. See the Subcategories section below for more details. If accepted, your abstract will be grouped with others in the same subcategory.

Acceptance of abstracts is based solely on scores from a blind peer review. Abstracts may be selected for oral presentation sessions or poster presentations based on score only, although if submitting in the Evidence Based Practice/Quality Improvement submission category, you may specify if you are submitting for a poster only. Industry supported abstracts are selected as posters only.

All abstracts will be published in the online Oncology Nursing Forum in Spring 2026.

Note: Abstracts cannot be edited after the submission deadline and will be published as received. This includes changes in primary authors or results. Pay close attention to spelling, grammar, names, and credentials before clicking Submit.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

INFORMATION ABOUT SUBMITTING IN EACH CATEGORY

1. EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

   This category is a forum to share evidence-based practice or quality improvement processes.

   Evidence-Based Practice: The utilization of scientific evidence (derived from research studies), patient preferences and clinician expertise to optimize patient care.
   Example: Incorporating a previously tested exercise teaching sheet in the clinical setting for patients undergoing treatment for cancer.

   Quality Improvement: Data-driven method to improve processes specific to an institution/organization.
   Example: Changing patient flow through clinical appointments for patients undergoing treatment for cancer to optimize time for providing exercise teaching sheets while maintaining daily numbers of patient visits.

2. RESEARCH

   The research category is a forum for disseminating current findings from rigorously conducted nursing research studies. Only those abstracts that meet the definition of Research (see definition below) should be submitted in the Research track. Those meeting the definitions of evidence-based practice or quality improvement should be submitted in the General Abstract submission category, and will not be accepted if submitted in the Research category.

   Research: IRB-approved research studies that are seeking to generate new knowledge to advance the science of oncology nursing, or a collaborative project between a PhD and DNP, which demonstrates an advancement in nursing practice by bringing nursing research and implementation science together.
   Example: Comparing associations between DNA methylation and patient-reported outcomes among patients who do and do not engage in exercise while undergoing treatment for cancer.

3. INDUSTRY SUPPORTED

   Industry supported abstracts are identified as projects or research for which the researcher or presenter is an employee of a pharmaceutical or related company. Also, any project that has been solely funded or directed by a company would be considered industry supported. Projects that have received unrestricted grant funding in which the researcher or principal investigator maintained full control over the project would not be considered industry supported.

   Pharmaceutical companies or industry employees may submit an abstract featuring their employer's products or services if they fully disclose their employment and/or financial involvement. Abstract presentations may not be sales presentations and must not imply ONS's endorsement of said products or services. This must be made clear during the presentation. Industry supported abstracts are encourages to address nursing role, implications for nursing research, or clinical practice.

   Researchers wishing to submit an abstract containing data related to a clinical pharmaceutical or industry trial conducted at their institution must provide full disclosure of the presenter's affiliation with the company, any financial gains (honoraria, travel reimbursement etc.) received, research support obtained, or involvement of the company in the research, as well as a complete list of all contributors (physicians, statisticians etc.) on the abstract submission. Failure to provide such disclosure will result in the automatic rejection of the abstract. The author is expected to add a nursing dimension to the existing clinical trial data to make such data interesting and applicable to the conference attendees.

   Note: NCPD will not be awarded for these abstracts due to ANCC guidelines stating that content must be free of commercial influence. These abstracts will only be accepted for poster presentation.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. GUIDELINES

   1. All abstracts must be submitted by the primary author. See Authorship section below for information about primary authors.
      
   2. The title, authors, and organization or institution must not be included in the body of the abstract. Any references that could identify the author/investigators by name or organization within the body of the text should be removed to allow for a blind peer review.
   3. The components of the abstract should be divided and titled into the sections listed below to help authors ensure that all required information for the scoring criteria is included (See Review Process and Scoring section below). Use this template when writing your abstract to ensure all required elements are included, save your document in your own files to refer to when developing your accepted presentation, then copy and paste the appropriate sections into the section headers in the abstract system. Please double check to ensure special characters (e.g. @, ©, ®) pasted over correctly. Check your grammar and spelling. No edits can be made after submission.
   1. Evidence Based Practice/Quality Improvement and Industry Supported Abstract Section Headers:
   1. Significance & Background
   2. Purpose
   3. Interventions
   4. Results
   5. Discussion
   6. In addition to the sections listed, reviewers will also score your submission on the writing of the abstract and if the information included is new or novel and can bring change to the oncology nursing profession.
   1. Research Abstract Section Headers:
   1. Purpose
   2. Significance
   3. Methods
   4. Findings and Interpretations
   5. Discussion
   6. In addition to the sections listed, reviewers will also score your submission on the writing of the abstract, if the information included is new or novel and can bring change to the oncology nursing profession, and its alignment with ONS Research Priorities
   4. The final abstract (body of abstract) must be no more than 385 words, including the section headers. Abstracts that contain more than the specified number of words will not be reviewed. We suggest checking the word count of your abstract in a word processing program prior to copying and pasting the abstract into the submission form. The abstract submission text box will also keep a word count.
   5. Attaching a figure or table: You may include one image file with your abstract. The image file may include more than one figure, table or image. All figures or images in the file must have titles. Words in the image file are not included in the total character count. Images will not be included in publication.
      
   6. To submit your abstract:
   1. The abstract cannot be submitted unless all required fields are completed.
   2. The abstract title should clearly indicate the nature of the subject. Acronyms should not be used in the title and should be written out on first mention. A quantifiable objective should be included. Titles should be written in Title case with only the first letters of each word capitalized and no punctuation.
   3. The body of the abstract should be in paragraph form, using complete sentences, and avoiding special characters or symbols.
   4. The submission platform allows for no more than six authors. When entering authors into the system, you will be asked for the first and last names of each author, credentials, and place of employment's name, city and state. Author information should only be included in the section where authors are added.
   5. Abstracts should have all funding sources written out completely, if applicable.
   7. The abstract must be approved for submission and presentation by the authors' employing institution(s).
   8. Previously published or presented (aka encore) abstracts will not be accepted. Secondary analyses/endpoints are acceptable. Previously accepted ONS Congress abstracts are ineligible for resubmission as the information has already been published. All submissions will be reviewed for originality via iThenticate. Abstracts identified as previously published will be removed from consideration for this ONS Congress.
   9. Research or projects in progress will be considered for poster presentation only. If the abstract is research, consider submitting an abstract in the late breaking call for abstracts (December 8, 2025-January 15, 2026).
   10. Data published in accepted abstracts are embargoed and may not be presented or published elsewhere until the conclusion of ONS Congress on May 17, 2026. Coverage and/or distribution of an abstract, poster, or any of its supplemental material to or by the news media, any commercial entity, or individuals, including the authors of said abstract, is strictly prohibited until the embargo is lifted.
   11. Authors retain copyright ownership of all original material submitted.
   12. Primary authors may decline acceptance or withdraw presentation of an abstract selection by emailing conferences@ons.org.

2. SUBCATEGORIES

   When submitting your abstract, you will be asked to select a subcategory to indicate the topic area to which your abstract most closely aligns. Notably, some studies/projects may not be clearly delineated within one of these categories. If you are unsure of which track to submit your abstracts to, please contact conferences@ons.org.

   EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND INDUSTRY SUPPORTED SUBCATEGORIES

   • Coordination of Care and Navigation
   • End of Life
   • Healthcare Delivery (e.g. patient flow/visits, telehealth, communication across sites, direct admits, ED)
   • Management (e.g. staffing, onboarding, competency, nursing education)
   • Patient Education
   • Professional Development
   • Psychosocial Dimensions of Care
   • Quality and Safety (e.g. CLABSI, falls, accreditation)
   • Screening, Early Detection, Genomics
   • Survivorship
   • Symptom Management and Palliative Care
   • Treatment Modalities and Managing Administration (e.g. vascular access devices, hazardous drugs, infusion reactions)

   RESEARCH SUBCATEGORIES

   • Data Science
   • Genetics
   • Healthcare delivery, care models, nursing workforce
   • Health Equity, including age, gender, SDOH, environment
   • Survivorship, Palliative and Psychosocial Oncology Care
   • Symptom Science
   • Translation/Implementation Science
   • Caregiving

3. AUTHORSHIP

   Primary authors can submit up to two abstracts for consideration.

   Primary authors must be either a registered nurse, a licensed healthcare professional from another discipline (e.g., physician, pharmacist, physical therapist), or a doctorally prepared individual.

   Note: The abstract submission system allows a maximum of 6 authors. When entering authors into the system, you will be asked for the first and last names of each author, credentials, and place of employment's name, city and state. Author information should only be included in the section where authors are added.

   For abstracts with more than one author, the primary author is the sole contact person and presenter. If the primary author is unable to present and must be changed after the submission deadline, email conferences@ons.org to change the primary presenter. The primary presenter is the only person who can upload information if the abstract is accepted for poster or oral presentation. Note: the primary author will remain first author if the abstract is accepted. Any changes must be made by March 26, 2026.

   Abstracts submitted must be of the author's own completed work, work in progress, or work previously presented at the local or regional level. Abstracts cannot be submitted that contain information that has been previously published or presented to national or international oncology nursing audiences.

   All primary abstract authors must complete the presenter agreement to meet the ONS NCPD Provider Unit requirements. This form is available in the submission system. Only the primary author will be asked to sign the agreement and provide conflicts of interest when submitting the abstract. In the event of a change of primary presenter, a new presenter agreement must be signed.

4. REVIEW PROCESS AND SCORING

   1. Upon receipt, the abstract will be reviewed for compliance with the abstract instructions and assigned a number to ensure anonymity.
   2. Three ONS volunteers will blind review each abstract.
   3. Reviewers will use the below scoring items and criteria. Each item is scored on a 1-5 grading scale.
   4. The conference planning team will rank abstracts based on reviewer scores for acceptance and presentation at the conference. Accepted abstracts will be placed in either oral abstract podium presentations or poster presentations based on review score, unless submitted for poster only.

   EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND INDUSTRY SUPPORTED SCORING

   Abstracts will be scored using a 1-5 ranking in each of the following criteria. See this evidence based practice/quality improvement scoring rubric for more detail.

   • Scoring
     • 5 = Exceptional. Well written, clearly defined, strongly recommend.
     • 4 = Good. Clear defined, recommend.
     • 3 = Average. Content included, recommend.
     • 2 = Poor. Content not clearly defined.
     • 1 = Unacceptable. Content not defined or included, do not recommend.
   • Criteria
     • Significance and Background
       • Is the topic significant, important, or relevant to oncology nursing practice?
       • Is the unique role or contribution of nursing described?
       • Is the background of the problem summarized?
     • Purpose
       • Does the purpose clearly describe the project or activitiy?
       • Is the rationale for the topic logical and supported by the information presented?
     • Methods/Interventions
       • Does the intervention or practice describe how the purpose was accomplished?
       • Are the interventions or practices described appropriately for the topic?
       • Are nursing-sensitive patient outcome interventions described if appropriate?
     • Results
       • Are the project goals evaluated according to scientific measures?
       • Are the outcomes applicable to oncology nursing?
     • Discussion
       • Are the implications for oncology nursing practice identified?
       • Are the suggestions for using the information included?
     • Reviewers will also score on:
       • Presentation
         • Is the abstract well written?
         • Are the ideas clearly communicated?
       • Innovation
         • Is the information provided new/novel?
         • Will this bring change to oncology nursing?

   RESEARCH SCORING

   Abstracts will be scored using a 1-5 ranking on the following criteria. View the complete research scoring rubric here. Abstract scoring adapted (with permission) from the 2019 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) Research Rubric.

   • Scoring
     • 5 = Excellent. Clearly conveys the information for the section and appropriate to the topic. Strongly recommend.
     • 4 = Very Good. Mostly clear, appropriate and consistent to section. Recommend.
     • 3 = Good. Partially clear, appropriate and consistent to section. Recommend.
     • 2 = Developing. Not adequately described, key elements missing.
     • 1 = Emerging. Unclear, not consistent with section. Do not recommend.
   • Criteria
     • Title
       • Does the title clearly convey the study design, variables and study population?
       • Is the title fully relevant to oncology nursing science?
     • Purpose and Problem Statement
       • Is the purpose/problem statement fully clear?
     • Significance
       • Does the content fully address gaps and current literature to further oncology nursing science?
     • Methods
       • Is the study design, sampling methods, sample size, procedures, instruments, and data analysis fully appropriate and consistent with the purpose of the study?
     • Findings and Interpretation
       • The results or the salient findings are fully summarized, and the author(s) interpretation of the data is fully presented.
     • Discussion and Implications
       • Is discussion fully clear, logical and congruent with the study's purpose, methods, or findings?
       • Do findings fully define implications for nursing science, patient outcomes, nursing practice, education, administration, leadership and/or policy making?
     • Reviewers will also score on:
       • Presentation
         • Is the writing style fully scholarly and fully clear to the reader?
         • Is the abstract free of spelling or grammatical errors, and does the author use appropriate wording?
       • Innovation
         • Is this a novel approach, e.g., topic and/or methods, and/or provide new information?
         • What is the impact on oncology nursing or oncology patient care?

5. PRESENTATION FORMATS

   Oral Abstracts

   Abstracts accepted for oral presentations will be scheduled with three other presenters in a one-hour session grouped by related topics. Speakers will have 15 minutes to present their abstract. Primary authors of abstracts selected for an oral presentation will be asked to submit a PowerPoint presentation using the conference slide template. Note: Industry supported abstracts will only be accepted as poster presentations.

   Poster Abstracts

   All presenters will submit their electronic poster directly to the poster system. No paper posters are allowed. Authors of accepted poster abstracts must be present at the assigned presentation monitor during their assigned session time at the conference for a 10-minute presentation about their poster and to answer questions from attendees.