


CANS Abstract Symposium

October 15, 2025
*Please use this registration option if you are planning to attend the CANS Abstract Symposium only and are not planning to attend the Academy's Health Policy Conference. If you are planning to attend the Academy's Health Policy Conference in addition to the CANS Abstract Symposium, then please register for this pre-conference event as part of your Health Policy Conference registration instead.
The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS) Abstract Symposium, themed “Nursing Science: Informing Policy, Advancing Health,” will be held on October 15, 2025, from 8:00AM - 4:40PM at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.
As a signature initiative of the American Academy of Nursing, CANS integrates nursing science into health, well-being, and policy decisions.
As the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science celebrates 25 years of Better Health Through Nursing Science, this event showcases a breadth of transformational nursing research impacting policy to improve health equity. Attendees will learn from their colleagues through poster and podium presentations. Additionally, attendees will hear from scientists whose work is transforming the health and wellness of populations as well as those who are working to prepare nurse scientists to impact the future of health through policy.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this event, attendees will:


Examine various research areas that demonstrate how nursing science informs and impacts policy change.

Increase their knowledge of how nursing science transforms population health and how nurse scientists can impact policy.
Speakers
Opening Keynote:
The Public, Policy, and Proof: Grounding Science in Trust
In an era when information is disseminated at unparalleled rates, concerns over misinformation, credible sources, and intent can shroud valid evidence and good intentions. The scientific community, including nurse scientists, can work collectively to overcome challenges such as mistrust and misinformation – a particularly poignant issue today. In this opening keynote session, participants will learn how to effectively communicate the impact and application of their work to policymakers and the public, find common ground for creating connection and trust, and understand the value of unified advocacy for the scientific enterprise.
Closing Keynote:
Preparing Nurse Scientists to Create Policy Change
Nursing science is transformational. Whether it is improving standards of care, advancing new technologies and innovation, or empowering patients and their families to make more informed decisions, nursing science is lies at the core. In order for discoveries stemming from nursing research to be integrated into health systems and communities, nurse scientists need to be effective stewards of their work in the policy arena. This closing keynote session will explore why nurse scientists, including doctoral research nursing students and early investigators, ought to be thinking more boldly about the larger impact of their research, how they can influence policy through their work, and how faculty and mentors can guide them to do so.
Event Partners
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of the 2025 CANS Symposium
