Patricia Benner Theory of Nursing: A Look through Novice to Expert When a student graduates from nursing school and passes all exams, they may then enter the workforce as a Registered Nurse. Although they may have gone through years of formal classroom education to become a nurse, the graduate will begin her career journey as a novice. The new environment and responsibilities will be unfamiliar and the new nurse will be unaccustomed to the skills needed to excel in her new venture. In order to advance to becoming an expert in this field, one would follow through the theory, introduced in 1982, by Doctor Patricia Benner: “From Novice to Expert”. Within her theory, there are five levels of skill and as a nurse moves from one level to the next,
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402). Their model, Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition, has five developmental stages of: novice, competence, proficiency, expertise and mastery and their research was based on how one learns a new language, how to play chess and to become a pilot (1980). In general, these two theories were similar in their findings and Benner has applied this to nursing and nursing performance with her five stages of: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert. Both models take into account that not only education but situational experience assists in building stronger knowledge, confidence and insight as to what works and what actions to take for the best results. Each stage represents a change in how a nurse moves from academic principles and rules to learned experiences as well as their growing knowledge in efficient clinical decision-making (Benner, 1982). Benner (1982) stated that “Nursing in acute-care settings has grown so complex that it is no longer possible to standardize, routinize and delegate much of what the nurse does” (p. 402). Within healthcare settings; medical, surgical and technological advances have outstanding benefits for patients and staff, however, providing care is no longer a simple equation or task that a nurse can learn from education only, there needs to be a deep understanding as to what essentials tasks must be
402). Their model, Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition, has five developmental stages of: novice, competence, proficiency, expertise and mastery and their research was based on how one learns a new language, how to play chess and to become a pilot (1980). In general, these two theories were similar in their findings and Benner has applied this to nursing and nursing performance with her five stages of: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert. Both models take into account that not only education but situational experience assists in building stronger knowledge, confidence and insight as to what works and what actions to take for the best results. Each stage represents a change in how a nurse moves from academic principles and rules to learned experiences as well as their growing knowledge in efficient clinical decision-making (Benner, 1982). Benner (1982) stated that “Nursing in acute-care settings has grown so complex that it is no longer possible to standardize, routinize and delegate much of what the nurse does” (p. 402). Within healthcare settings; medical, surgical and technological advances have outstanding benefits for patients and staff, however, providing care is no longer a simple equation or task that a nurse can learn from education only, there needs to be a deep understanding as to what essentials tasks must be