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Southern Ohio Northern/Kentucky-Indiana (SONK-I) CONSORTIUM 2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Missing Science of Physical Assessment: A Return to the Fundamentals of Nursing Practice March 27, 2026, 9 AM to 3 PM Sharonville Convention Center   Keynote Speaker Dr. Shannan Hamlin , Associate Professor of Nursing, Academic Institute, Director, Center for Nursing Research, Education and Practice, Houston Methodist Call for Podium Abstracts The SONK-I Consortium Committee invites Sigma nurses to submit a podium abstract that reflects the theme of the 2026 SONK-I Consortium Annual Conference. Many family members and healthcare providers are sharing that the importance of laboratory results, scans, early warning systems, and other diagnostic tests has taken preeminence over the physical assessment or physical examination. In fact, the hands-on assessment, although taught, is frequently not performed in the practice setting. The importance and necessity of returning to basics of nursing practice including its relationship to patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes and nursing liability is the theme of this conference. If you have a 20-minute or 50-minute presentation of a completed research study, quality improvement project or EBP project related to this theme, please consider submitting an abstract to Dr. Karen O’Connell at oconnellk@nku.edu . Abstract Guidelines The abstract must be the author or author(s) own work and must address the theme of the conference. Research studies, quality improvement projects, or EBP projects must be completed work. Use Microsoft Word, 12 font, Ariel or Times Roman, 1-inch margins, double-spaced and limited to 500 words (about 1.6 pages). Include the following headings: Title Background Methods Results Summary References (not counted in word limitation) Also include: Author(s) credentials, institution, position, contact information Submission Date: October 1, 2025