By Lorelei Newton, RN, PhD
Last winter, I was privileged to teach an impressive and insightful group of students. For their final assignment of a Bachelor of Nursing degree, I challenged the students to describe their academic experience as a six word story. Six word stories (SWS) are said to be inspired by Ernest Hemingway. Legend has it that in the 1920’s, his friends wagered that he could not write a complete story in just six words. They lost. Hemingway is said to have considered this short story his best work: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
While SWS origins are difficult to verify, many authors have been inspired to create a new genre of meaningful short stories (for example: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/sixwords.html or http://www.sixwordstories.net/).
In a way, the SWS was also my final assignment because I was completing my doctoral studies at the same time these students were finishing their undergraduate degree. As Walker et al. point out, “the PhD marks its holder as one charged to serve as a steward of the discipline and profession”. As such a steward, I wished to encourage this talented group of ‘almost-nurses’ to reflect on both nursing scholarship and education beyond their current focus on securing a first point-of-care nursing position. It was my goal to “enhance students’ capacity for self-reflection and direction”. In doing so, I hoped to foster connections among nursing scholarship, the multitude of possibilities that lay before them, and their immediate desire to ‘get to work.’ I also hoped that encouraging creative approaches to learning and self-reflection might also cultivate future consideration of graduate studies in these budding scholars.
I was surprised at what a powerful learning opportunity writing a SWS was for all of us. I was delighted to see how the students, with their new-graduate eyes, had varied perspectives on their studies that in turn, contributed significantly to my own learning. The SWS assignment enhanced the students’ abundant creativity and contributed to lively conversations where they clearly demonstrated their critical thinking skills. I am optimistic that this exercise will promote connections between the skills and knowledge the students acquired over the past four years. As they enter a sometimes rigidly structured healthcare system, their creative thinking will be essential to manage inevitable change and optimize patient care.
In response to this assignment, the students called upon me to write a SWS of my studies as well. I appreciated how our mutual enthusiasm and new insights underscored the ongoing need for self-reflection at regular intervals over the course of our diverse and extraordinary nursing careers. It is our hope that these stories will inspire you to do the same.
Head spun; never ending vanished equilibrium.
– Danielle Brethour
Lost and found: Money and knowledge.
– Helen Forge
Just like that: life ends, begins.
– Reanne Hammel
Relationships, Challenges, Hurdles: I am done!
– Nicole Hordyk
Complex renal care; always holistic assessment.
– Cynthia Johnson
Four Years, Studied Hard, now … Freedom!
– Amy Morris
Gained/Lost, wrote forever: suddenly finished.
– Lorelei Newton
Read, write, care, reflect, sleep: repeat.
– William Nikl
Relationships, loss, sacrifice, commitment, relief: Strength.
– Amy Nyce
Excited, Educational, Challenging, Preparative, Accomplished, Commence.
– Grant Robinson
Self reflection. Better person. Forever proud.
– Andrea Russell
Extreme workload, extreme stress, extremely proud.
– Jennifer Webster
References
Walker, G., Golde, C., Jones, L., Conklin Bueschel, A., & Hutchings, P. (2008). The Formation of Scholars: Rethinking Doctoral
Education for the Twenty-First Century. Stanford, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lorelei Newton graduated with her PhD from the UVic School of Nursing in June 2012 and is a sessional instructor in the School.
From the 2012 Autumn Communiqué — Nursing Ethics
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