Abstract Submission

Invitation to Submit

We invite you to submit an abstract for consideration for the 2026 Palliative Care Nurses Australia Biennial Conference being held from 10 – 12 June 2026 in Adelaide, SA.

This year’s PCNA conference theme, ‘From Ideas to Impact: Innovating Together for Equity and Access,’ celebrates the transformative power of collaboration and innovation in palliative care. It invites us to showcase practical solutions that improve access and equity, and reflects a shared commitment to reimagining systems, amplifying diverse voices, and turning bold ideas into meaningful change across all care settings.

This highly anticipated event brings together nurses from across Australia to focus on how to enable optimal care for people living with advanced, progressive illness and their families. This event is for nurses working in all settings (hospitals, general practice, community, aged care), contexts (metropolitan, rural, regional or remote) and all involved in providing generalist care or specialist palliative care. The PCNA Conference offers the opportunity to focus on: clinical excellence informed by the latest evidence; connection across sectors, care settings and jurisdictions; mentorship across the sector and on deepening our understanding about Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing, as well as Western ways of knowing to optimise palliative care for all. This conference is a crucial platform for expanding knowledge, fostering connection and collaboration, and gaining exposure to cutting-edge research and best practices in clinical care delivery.

We encourage you to take this opportunity to present your research, innovative projects, and significant findings to an engaged audience of professionals in the community. Presentations at the conference enrich the discussions and contribute to the growth of knowledge in our field. PCNA particularly invites and supports first time presenters and will ensure a supportive environment to grow your confidence in presenting work to lead optimal care.

We invite submissions for oral presentations and posters. With the conference going ahead in hybrid format, presenters can register and present either onsite or online.

We encourage submissions from clinicians across the sector and particularly nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, students, researchers, educators, and service managers.

Presentations are encouraged to be focused on original research, case studies, frameworks, improvement projects or practical applications relevant to the themes detailed below.

To submit your abstract, please visit our submission portal on this website and follow the instructions provided. Please don’t hesitate to contact our conference managers, at mail@conferencedesign.com.au, if you have any questions.

We look forward to receiving your abstract and having you join us for an inspiring and stimulating conference.

Kind regards,

Jessica Brown
Conference Convener

Invitation to Submit

Click Here to Submit
Abstract Submission
Presentation Formats
Presentation Themes
Review & Selection Process
Other Information

Important Dates

  • Call for Presentations Open
    Monday, 4 August 2025
  • Call for Presentations Close – EXTENDED
    Friday, 7 November 2025
  • Notification of Presentation Acceptance
    Wednesday, 17 December 2025
  • Presenter Registration Closes
    Monday, 23 February 2026
  • Conference Starts 
    Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Tips and Guidance for Your Abstract

Abstract Submission Instructions

All abstracts are submitted online via the portal above.

1. Prepare your Abstract

  • Title: Use a descriptive title of up to fifteen words that indicates the content of the abstract. Titles are printed in uppercase.
  • Authors:  Include the given name and family name of every contributing author, separated by a comma.
  • Affiliations: Include each author’s organisation, suburb, state, and email address (optional). The presenter will be indicated in the program, not the abstract.
  • Abstract: Prepare a 300-word abstract for all presentation types including the following headings and sections:
    • Background
    • Aims
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Conclusions

2. Corresponding Author

Open the submission portal and enter the contact details of the corresponding author.

3. Abstract Submission Details

You will need to enter the following details for each abstract you submit:

  • Presentation title (15 words)
  • Abstract (300 words)
  • Preferred presentation format
  • Preferred theme
  • Names of authors
  • Affiliations of authors
  • Indicate the presenter
  • Short biography of the presenter (100 words)

Presenter Registration

All presenters must register for the conference and pay the appropriate registration fee. Presenters also need to meet their own travel and accommodation costs if attending onsite.

Correspondence

The submitting author will be the only point of contact for all communication regarding the abstract, including acceptance notification.

Abstract Guidelines

  • Abstracts must be original and unpublished.
  • You must declare a potential conflict of interest.
  • Ensure that your abstract is grammatically correct and free of other errors.
  • Use single spacing for all text.
  • Do not use abbreviations in the title of the abstract
  • When using abbreviations in the abstract, spell them out in full at the first mention
  • Capitalise the first letter in trade names.
  • Abstracts should NOT contain references, tables, or figures.
  • Accepted abstracts will appear exactly as submitted.
  • Industry representatives are welcome to submit an abstract for consideration, however, submissions that are commercially or sales-focused will not be considered

Presentation Themes

We invite submissions to the overall conference theme From Ideas to Impact: Innovating Together for Equity and Access or one of the following subthemes:

  1. Bridging Gaps in Underserved Communities
    Focus: innovative models and partnerships that improve access in rural, remote, First Nations, disability care , CALD, LGBTQIA+, justice-involved, or socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
  2. Innovating at the Bedside and Beyond
    Focus: symptom management and grassroots clinical innovations, nurse-led initiatives, and frontline problem-solving that drive real-world change.
  3. Voices That Matter: Lived Experience and Co-Design
    Focus: amplifying patient, family, and carer perspectives in service design and policy-making — especially from diverse and underrepresented groups.
  4. Technology with Purpose
    Focus: telehealth, digital tools, data-driven approaches, and AI that enhance equity and accessibility in palliative care.
  5. Workforce Futures: Enabling Equity Through Leadership and Education
    Focus: training, support, and leadership development for nurses and interdisciplinary teams to foster inclusive, equitable care.
  6. Policy, Systems, and Structural Change
    Focus: system-level innovations, policy advocacy, and funding models that dismantle barriers to palliative care access.
  7. Sustaining Impact: Evaluation, Research and Quality Improvement
    Focus: turning bold ideas into lasting change through evidence, outcomes measurement, and quality frameworks.
  8. Redesigning End-of-Life Care in the Community: Aged Care at the Centre
    Focus: Innovative approaches to end-of-life support for clients at home and in residential aged care
  9. Strength in Culture: Partnering for Better Palliative Care in First Nations Communities
    Focus:  Transforming health systems through Indigenous knowledge
  10. Navigating Medical Siloes: Enabling Shared and Integrated Care in Practice
    Focus: Enhancing integrated and shared care across medical specialties (i.e. renal, cardiac, respiratory, and neurological)
  11. From Policy to Practice: Expanding Access Through Nurse Prescribing
    Focus: Nurse prescribing implementation, education needs, governance, and the practical impact on palliative care patients and communities
  12. Innovations in end-of-life care within the acute care setting: enhancing dignity, connection and comfort.
    Focus: Creative and practical changes at the bedside to improve the experience of patients and their carers.

Presentation Formats

You are asked to note a preferred presentation format when submitting as there are limited places, particularly for oral presentations, the committee may request that you consider an alternative format. Authors will be advised and asked to confirm if they wish to present in the new format.

Oral Presentations

Oral presentations will be allocated 12 minutes, plus 3 minutes for question time. Oral presentations will be grouped into sessions on a common theme.

  • A 12-minute presentation, plus 3 minutes for questions.

Lightning-Oral Presentations

Lightning presentations are short, focused oral talks that allow presenters to quickly share a concise overview of their research or a specific aspect of their work. Lightning talks will be part of a session featuring multiple presenters.

  • A 5-minute presentation

Display Posters

Display posters allow for direct interactions with other attendees and facilitate detailed discussions. Posters can present research in progress, projects, clinical topics, quality improvement initiatives, and case studies.

  • An A0-size portrait poster displayed for the duration of the conference.
  • The abstract and a PDF of each poster will be included in the conference app for delegates to view on their smart devices.
  • Presenters will also be asked to attend their poster during a poster viewing session to discuss the poster with other delegates.

Review & Selection Process

Review

The Program Committee will peer review all submitted abstracts against set criteria.

Selection Process

The Program Committee will allocate presentations to the program considering the score of the abstract, recommendations from reviewers, the author’s preference for presentation format, and the balance of the program.

Abstract authors will be notified of acceptance, rejection or change of format via email at the date specified above. Presenters are then required to confirm their acceptance and their participation in the conference. Unsuccessful abstracts submitted for oral presentation will be offered a poster presentation if the selection criteria are met. No correspondence will be entered as to why individual abstracts did not receive an oral presentation.

Submission & Presentation Information

Authors’ Permission

By submitting an abstract all authors are deemed to have agreed to release the content to the conference organisers and give permission to publish the abstract and presentation in all conference publications including on the website, in the app and printed material.

Presenter Guidelines

A set of guidelines to assist presenters will be made available before the conference.

Cancellations or Change of Presenter

Please avoid late cancellations or changing the presenter as material will be pre-printed with the speaker’s name and organisation and cannot be changed at a later date. If you need to cancel or change the presenter, please advise Conference Design at mail@conferencedesign.com.au as early as possible.

Disclosure Of Interest Statement

We recognise the considerable contribution that industry partners make to professional and research activities. We also recognise the need for transparency and the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by acknowledging these relationships in publications and presentations. Where relevant, all authors must include a disclosure of interest statement in their abstract and if accepted in their presentation. For example, The Melon Institute and Metabolism Corp are funded by the University of Oxbridge, UK. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study.

Medical Technology Association of Australia Code of Practice

If your presentation refers to medical devices, your abstract and presentation must comply with the Medical Technology Association of Australia Code of Practice.

Speaker Biography

A brief biography of the presenter is to be provided when you submit your abstract. Biographies may include the presenter’s position, career details and major work achievements. Biographies should be written in the third person. If your abstract is accepted, your biography will be used when introducing you as a speaker at the conference.

Uploading Your Presentations and Posters

You will be sent links to upload your PowerPoint slides and posters via Drobox.

Publishing your Presentation in the Online Portal

Presentations will be made available to registered delegates for viewing in the online portal for three months unless you advise otherwise. Any additional files authors choose to share via the online portal, as well as live Q & A/panel discussions, will also be available to view during and after the presentation. Access to the portal will be password protected and limited to conference registrants. If presentations are to be used or published in any other format or forum, your specific consent will be requested.

Permission for Material Presented

Please ensure you have documented permission to use any images, music or other content in your abstract and presentation. Do not include any images copied from the internet. Getty Images and other image agencies crawl the internet looking for images that have been copied without the appropriate licenses. You are liable for all copyright infringements that arise from your presentation.

Copyright and Ownership of Material

All materials, including but not limited to presentations, slides, posters, abstracts, papers, and any other written or visual content presented at the event, are the intellectual property of us or the respective authors and presenters. The authors or presenters retain ownership rights to their materials.

Will People be Able to Record or Download My Presentation?

During the registration process, attendees agree to the conference Terms & Conditions, which include rules on unauthorised photography and recording of conference material. We cannot enforce this rule completely, so presenters should assume a participant may take unauthorised photographs, screenshots, audio, or video recordings. You may wish to adjust the content of your presentation accordingly. Presentations in the online portal and conference app are available only to view and cannot be downloaded.

Audio Visual Equipment Available

Each session room will be equipped with the following equipment:

  • A presentation laptop running Windows 10 or 11
  • Data projector
  • Screen
  • Lectern
  • Microphone, including sound for your presentation
  • A clicker to progress your slides
  • A laser pointer or mouse for pointing

All slides will be run from the presentation computer.

If you have a complex presentation, which includes multiple media files, we suggest you bring your laptop as a backup in case of difficulties loading your presentation.

If you use a Mac, have a complex presentation or require a specific or uncommon program, we suggest you bring your laptop as a backup in case of difficulties loading your presentation. You will need to arrange this in advance with the AV technicians. Please provide any specific audio-visual requirements to the Conference Secretariat at mail@conferencedesign.com.au.

PowerPoint Presentation Tips

  • All presentations should be in PowerPoint.
  • PowerPoint should be in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
  • Video and audio clips should be embedded in your slides rather than linked to external files.
  • There should be no more than 5 x 1-line bullet points per slide.
  • The optimum title text is 45 – 55 points and no smaller than 36 points.
  • Body text should be at least 26 points.
  • Avoid UPPERCASE letters as they are hard to read.
  • Please keep to the time limit of your presentation

Speaker Preparation Room

Please bring your presentation to the conference on a USB stick as a backup. Go to Speaker’s Preparation room at least 4 hours before or the day before your presentation. A technician will be available to load and check your presentation and to discuss any audio-visual queries you may have. If you are not providing slides for your presentation, please advise the AV technician in the Speaker’s Preparation room 4 hours before your session.

Online Oral Presentations

For online presenters, it is anticipated your presentation will be streamed live to delegates via Zoom meetings. Presenters can share their screens and present slides using the standard Zoom meetings functionality. Presenters will need to supply a copy of their slides before the conference as a backup in case of technical difficulty.

Writing an Abstract

An abstract is a short document that captures the interest of potential attendees of your session. Your abstract should engage the reader by telling them what your presentation is about. The title of the proposed presentation is also important; short attention-catching titles are the most effective, however, it is also important to ensure that the title describes the subject.

These are questions to consider when writing your abstract.

  • Does the title succinctly describe the topic?
  • Does the abstract clearly state the topic of the presentation?
  • Does the abstract say how the research or project was or is being undertaken?
  • Does the abstract give a concise summary of the findings?
  • Does the abstract indicate the value of the findings and whom the findings will benefit?
  • Does the abstract engage the reader by telling them why they should attend the presentation?
  • Is the abstract well written in terms of conciseness, language, and grammar?
  • Does the abstract conform to the structure outlined and the word limit?

While the format of your abstract will vary with the topic and type of information you are presenting, most abstracts will include the following:

  • Background of the project or initiative,
  • Method of research or project implementation,
  • Results of the project or research
  • Discussion of the outcomes and implications.

Finally, your abstract should not include diagrams or images; references are not required in the abstract.

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