Whenever I write a chapter for a book, I have begun to introduce it with a limerick. If you recall, I posted limericks here about a chapter I wrote on approvals of nursing programs and one on interprofessional collaboration. Those have been submitted.

I am now writing a chapter on our work with transitioning novice nurses to practice, so I need another limerick. We are developing a standardized, national, regulatory model which will require new graduates have a transition program, similar to the residency program for physicians (though shorter in length). Here is a link to the evidence supporting our model. Obviously it is not easy to sum up 6 years of work in 5 lines, which have to rhyme, scan well, and add a little humor besides. Here is what I've come up with, and while I like it, I am wondering if anyone has some suggestions:

In nursing let's bring to fruition
A standardized course to transition
New nurses to practice,
Like docs, cuz the fact is
It's a safety, no-brainer position!

quote:

In nursing let's bring to fruition
A standardized course to transition
New nurses to practice,
Like docs, cuz the fact is
It's a safety, no-brainer position!

This is very good.

Of course I would spell some of the words differently - but that's not really an issue. But I would change some of the punctuation and one of the words. Like this (changes emboldened):

In nursing let's bring to fruition
A standardized course to transition.
New nurses to practice,
Like docs, for the fact is
It's a safety, no-brainer position!

I would prefer not to use a slang word in a scholarly journal which is why I eschew "cuz"

I hope this helps.

REALITY BITES

In nursing, the path we’re traversing,
Some time is required rehearsing
What our work does entail
Yet we know, without fail,
What’ere we may do, there’ll be cursing.

I do like "traversing" and "rehearsing," (especially for this transition initiative!) with "nursing" and "cursing," Proof. However, perhaps, given that this is a chapter on the benefits of transitioning new graduates, I should be a little less negative than your line 5.

Richard, I do like "for" better than "cuz."

Shu suggested for line 5: "It's a safer, no-brainer position" Is that better, do you think? While the "safer" and "no-brainer" sound better together, the meaning is slightly changed, because "safety" becomes an issue. More nurses make practice errors when they don't take part in organized transition programs.

In nursing, the path we traverse
Requires that we rehearse.
We're in constant transition
To improve our position
Always forward and never reverse!

I do like the concept, Jerry.

I really like jerry's effort. However perhaps I could build on (that is, filch) his idea to introduce an analogy to driving forwards:

In nursing, the road we traverse
Requires that we rehearse.
We're in constant transition
To improve our position
Always in Drive and never Reverse!

quote:

In nursing, the road we traverse
Requires that we rehearse.
We're in constant transition
To improve our position
Always in Drive and never Reverse!

I think this is excellent but would like, if I may, to just tune the scansion:

In nursing, the road we traverse
Requires that we always rehearse.
In constant transition
Improving position
In Drive and not ever Reverse!

quote:

However, perhaps, given that this is a chapter on the benefits of transitioning new graduates, I should be a little less negative than your line 5.

Now I have to put happy faces on limericks when they aren't serious.

I'm glad to see you made something more out of it than was my original intention. Am I to become an inspiration to all?

Another possible approach?

Whether new nurse or novice physician,
A beginner will need a transition;
Our program’s designed
So by practice you’ll find
The way to achieve your ambition.

Transition seems to me to be a very bad word for this new thing.

Well, this limerick has surely transitioned! These are some great ideas. I have some decisions to make, though I have to finish the blankety blank chapter first!

quote:

Transition seems to me to be a very bad word for this new thing.

That's an interesting concept, Valentine. Can you please tell me your thoughts on that? I was working on this initiative all day, and I began to wonder about the word, too. I don't think it's too late for us to change it, but we'll have to do it quickly.

This is my best and final effort ...

In accordance with nursing tradition
Novice nurses go through a transition
We're turning new pages
Moving to higher stages
As we upgrade ourselves and our mission.


~~~~ jerry

The word that occurred to me for the process is induction

Hmm, you really want to put a limerick in a publication that is to be taken seriously? Unless you are planning on lampooning or just poking fun at some aspect of the profession, I wouldn't think it was appropriate.

Kalleh: I thought from the NCSBN page you linked that the term was well-entrenched, so I haven't given much thought to a better one.

I dislike transition, because it has for me too much "change", and not enough "growth" in it. A newly minted nurse becomes more experienced over time, with or without such a program, but doesn't really change into something else.

Induction isn't much better for me, because it sounds ceremonial. What is wrong with "residency"? Is it that the program is shorter, so that those going through it don't really live in the place, as MD residents do?

Matriculation isn't right, nor is internship. It isn't a probationary period, nor an apprenticeship. I doubt that indentured servitude would fly. Nor would on-the-job training.

Maybe transition isn't so bad, after all.

Passage, progress, advance, journey, evolve, wander aimlessly.

quote:

wander aimlessly

Sorry. That was Congress.

quote:

Hmm, you really want to put a limerick in a publication that is to be taken seriously?

Well, Myth, they might not want it, I don't know. However, I do know that when I submitted the "collaboration" limerick for my chapter on interprofessional collaboration, they attempted to "workshop," it, clearly having no idea of meter. Therefore, I suggested that they just delete the limerick because I was not about to have that limerick published in my name. They immediately pulled back and said I could include my original...they loved the idea for a limerick.

This publisher might not, though. We'll see.

quote:

What is wrong with "residency"?

Ah, it gets all political in nursing. I like "residency" or "internships" (there're even "externships," though they're generally before graduation). However, there are some residencies and internships out there that are associated with certain organizations, and we felt we couldn't use those terms for that reason. Transition seems to be a more general term, though I agree that it doesn't really incorporate the concept of growth. We thought defining it, as we have, will help. And, considering that this will be a national initiative, all the individual internships and residencies should meet the national criteria.

I submitted the chapter on approvals today (which we already had discussed here), and tomorrow my chapter on transition will be submitted. I thought I'd better give the editor a heads up as to why I included the limericks, and I told her I'd be glad to delete them if she didn't think they were appropriate...to your comment, Myth. She said she loved the idea as it would be a role model for faculty to be creative in their teaching (not sure about that, but whatever). So it looks like this editor, as my last one did with the "collaboration" limerick, likes the idea.

Perhaps this will start a new wave in professional writing.