Beginning at the 2015 conference, Continuing Education hours will be available for viewing posters. This exciting change will require some changes to occur during the Abstract submission Process. Please take a few moments to view this information so you can be prepared to submit all the information required.

1. WOCN Society
Abstract Submission Process
47th Annual Conference
June 6 – 10, 2015

2. Times…They are a-changing…
Beginning at the 2015 conference,
Continuing Education hours will be available for viewing
posters.
VERY EXCITING NEWS!!!
This will require some changes
to occur during the
Abstract submission Process.
Please take a few moments to view this information so you
can be prepared to submit all the information required.

3. Author Information
• ALL authors’ names must be “declared” or listed at
the time of submission.
• Once the abstract is submitted, no other author
names can be added.
• Only appropriate VALID and CURRENT credentials for
each author should be used
EXAMPLE:
T. Weedledee BSN, RN, WOCN INCORRECT
T. Weedledee BSN, RN, CWOCN CORRECT!!

4. Author Information:
Conflict of Interest
• Every named author must complete the required
conflict of interest (COI) form.
• In order for the abstract to be considered ready for
review, each author must have their COI submitted by
the abstract submission deadline, 12:00PM EST,
DECEMBER 30, 2014.
• It is the PRIMARY author’s responsibility to inform
the other authors of the requirement to complete the
COI. Ultimately the primary author is responsible to
make sure the other authors complete the COI
document.

5. CNE Content Integrity
• Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society is accredited
as a provider of continuing nursing education by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on
Accreditation.
• As such, we must ensure that the content of any activity
accredited for continuing nursing education (CNE) adheres
to the criteria, standards and policies dictated by the ANCC
(and affiliated accrediting entities).
• To do so, we must receive information from you to help us
determine if you have a real or potential conflict of interest.
• This is outlined by the ANCC by applying the ACCME
Standards for Commercial Support™.

6. Definitions
• The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) defines an organization
as having a commercial interest (“Commercial Interest Organization”)* if it:
• Produces, markets, sells or distributes health care goods or services
consumed by or used on patients;
• Is owned or operated, in whole or in part, by an organization that
produces, markets, sells or distributes health care goods or services
consumed by or used on patients; or
• Advocates for use of the products or services of commercial interest
organizations.
• (*Reference: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
(ACCME) Standards of Commercial Support, August 2007
(www.accme.org) - ANCC’s definition is intended to ensure compliance
with Food and Drug Administration Guidance on Industry-Supported
Scientific and Educational Activities and consistency with the ACCME
definition)
• Relevant relationships, as defined by ANCC, are relationships with a
commercial interest if the products or services of the commercial interest
are related to the content of the educational activity.

7. Who must disclose?
• All persons in a position to control or exert
influence over the content of a CNE activity MUST
disclose to WOCN all relevant relationships with a
commercial interest (as defined on the prior page)
• The ANCC considers relationships of a spouse,
partner or close family member to be those of the
person disclosing.
• Any person who does not disclose will be excused
from participation in the CNE portion of the activity.

8. What information must be
disclosed?
• Relationships with any commercial interest of the individual’s
spouse/partner may be relevant relationships and must be reported,
evaluated, and resolved.
• Evidence of a relevant relationship with a commercial interest may include
but is not limited to receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights,
consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (stock and stock options,
excluding diversified mutual funds), grants, contracts, or other financial
benefit directly or indirectly from the commercial interest.
• Financial benefits may be associated with employment, management
positions, independent contractor relationships, other contractual
relationships, consulting, speaking, teaching, membership on an advisory
committee or review panel, board membership, and other activities from
which remuneration is received or expected from the commercial interest.
• If the research or costs of producing the content to be used in this activity
were funded in part or whole by a commercial interest; this includes in-kind
donations, travel expenses, production of posters, handouts, etc.

9. What does WOCN do with the
information?
• Information disclosed to WOCN is reviewed to determine if
a conflict of interest exists.
• The WOCN Lead Nurse Planner (LNP) will work with the
discloser to resolve the conflict, this includes but is not
limited to;
• limiting the participation of the individual,
• peer review of content,
• excusing the individual,
• not awarding contact hours for the portion of the activity, and;
• as otherwise warranted by the WOCN LNP.
• The information is also used to disclose to the audience.

10. Further Protecting Against Bias
• Generic Names
• Use of GENERIC name of products is allowed in the body of the abstract
and in the poster/oral presentations. If mentioned in titles, the GENERIC
names of products are to be used.
• Brand names and company names may be identified only once in an
acknowledgement section.
• Presentations that constitute promotion and advertising, including
pervasive or inappropriate use of logos will not be accepted.
• No company product information may be displayed or disseminated in
conjunction with the oral or poster presentation.
• If the cost of a presentation has been underwritten to any extent, a
disclosure stating the support and identifying the source will be required at
the time of the abstract submission and will be required with the oral or
poster presentation (e.g., "The support of [Corporation or Institution] for
this project is gratefully acknowledged.").
• Statements should not be viewed as or considered representative of any
formal stance or position taken on any subject, issue, or product by the
WOCN® Society.

11. Further Protecting Against Bias
• Company Logos, Slogans or Tag Lines
• The logos, slogans or tag lines (or for that matter any marketing or
advertising content) of a commercial interest are not to be used in
presentations.
• Further, WOCN strongly advises against the use of any company logos, tag
lines or slogans in the content of a presentation, regardless of the
company’s status as a commercial interest.
• While the policies are intended to protect against undue influence by
commercial interests, WOCN also recognizes that other organizations, not
meeting the definition of commercial support may stand to benefit
financially by the promotion of their company or products/services and this
may create a bias for the planners or faculty who have a relationship with
the company.
• The test for this is to ask yourself if the audience members are customer
targets of the entity whose logo or materials are to be presented.
• If the answer is yes, then WOCN recommends against use. Please
consider this in the development and presentation of your abstract.

12. Copyrights/Patents & Attribution
• 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
reference may result in abstract/poster rejection.

13. General Information
• Reminder that abstracts should reflect COMPLETED
work, not anticipated work. Incomplete results
would be cause for the abstract to be rejected. All
work should be completed prior to abstract
submission.
• The Case Study category requires at least 3 cases,
but could include more. It would be considered
RARE, to submit a one case scenario unless it is
especially unique, which would be to say that the
condition is so very rare, or the solution so
groundbreaking that it has not been discussed
before, for example.

14. General Information
• Facility/Company/Personal Names do not belong in
the abstract, and would be justification for
rejection of the abstract.
Suggestions for Agency:
“Small rural hospital in the Midwest”
“Level I trauma center in the Northeast USA”
“Academic hospital located in the Southwestern
United States”

15. General Information
• Use appropriate terms—standardization is best
• WOC nurse instead of “the CWOCN” or “the WOCN”
• WOCN® Society—reflects our legal name

16. General Information
• Product information should be discussed in generic terms
Examples:
Moldable ostomy barrier
Silver impregnated foam dressing
Multi-layer compression system
Low Frequency Ultrasound
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy
Medications: “Ibuprofen” (appropriate) vs “Advil”
• In the “Acknowledgement” Section of your poster, you
may clarify these generics, but this section does not
appear in the Abstract Submission Process.

17. General Information
• Before submitting the abstract, ask someone to
independently review it for grammar, spelling, and
clarity of communication of the information.
• Be concise—the abstract is an eagle’s eye overview
of the work. But it is the commercial to make the
reader understand what is included and what the
topic is about as well.
• Do NOT wait until the last minute….anything could
happen….
Computer crashes, bad weather, illness, and
LIFE…..begin early!!

18. General Information
• If you are submitting an abstract, anticipate that it
will be accepted, and make arrangements for
conference registration early—
• The primary author will be expected to register for
the conference upon notification of acceptance of
the abstract. There is generally only 30 days after
notification to register, so be prepared to do so!!
• Registration means that the conference fee is paid,
and this serves as a means to confirm your
attendance to present your poster!

19. General Information
• Posters will be displayed throughout the conference,
and the CE poster session will be held on Tuesday of
the conference.
• Primary authors are expected to be present at their
poster during the CE poster session.
• If you are a first time abstract presenter, please indicate
that when asked.
• If your abstract focuses on prevention, please indicate
that when asked.
• Please note that only research category abstracts will
be considered for oral presentation at the conference.
However, even if the information is presented orally, a
poster may still be displayed.

20. General Information
• Specific instructions on posters, including how to
cite references, how to acknowledge your agency,
how to acknowledge vendor support, how to use
logos and so on, will be sent to you if your abstract
is accepted for poster presentation.
• Oral presentations will be reviewed by the Center
for Clinical Investigation, or the Education
Committee/Consultant, and other instructions
regarding that process will follow should podium
presentation invitation be given.

21. Good luck with the submission
process!!
If you have any questions, please reach out!
Dea Kent MSN, RN, NP-C, CWOCN
Abstract Coordinator
National Conference Planning Committee
deajkent@aol.com
Title your email: Abstract Question
National Office Contacts:
Debi Maines
dmaines@wocn.org
Brooke Passy
bpassy@wocn.org

22. References
1. American Nursing Credentialing Center’s Content
Integrity Standards (2014). Retrieved from:
http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Accreditation
/ResourcesServices/Accreditation-
CEContentIntegrity