Topic 8 DQ 1 Nursing Theorist: Patricia Benner Dr. Patricia Benner and her nursing theory Novice to Expert is one of the most widely used models that provides guidance as professional nurses progress through learning in clinical practice. Her framework identifies nurses’ needs at different stages of clinical competence. Her model outlines five different stages of skill acquisition; novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert (McEwen & Wills, 2014) Benner’s theory “is not focused on how to be a nurse, rather on how nurses acquire nursing knowledge” (Benner, 1984, p. 22). This nursing theory explains that expert nurses progress through skills and understanding of patient care over time, with appropriate education, and clinical experiences. The foundation of the theory starts at the lowest stage, novice and proceeds to the next stages, building upon each other. The stages are not independent of each other but rather a ladder to the stage of expert. Each nurse and nursing leadership can use this in their own practice to evaluate themselves and where on the continuum of education and nursing experience they are at. Choice of Theorist Dr. Patricia Benner had her work first published in 1984, just 2 years after she finished her PhD from University of California at Berkley (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Her model used the Dreyfus skill acquisition to nursing which was “developed by a mathematician and a philosopher” (McEwen & Wills, 2014, p. 222). The five stages are described as: Novice: The novice nurse enters the profession with no experience and requires guidance and continual support. Advanced beginner: The advanced beginner nurse is experiencing different patient experiences and learning by doing. This level thinks very concretely. Competent: A competent nurse is able to demonstrate analytical and abstract thinking. Typically, a nurse enters this stage after practicing for two years or more. Proficient: A proficient nurse develops a better understanding of the clinical picture. Proficient nurses also are able to critically think and are able to determine care with the use of knowledge, skill, and intuition. Expert: The expert nurse is the highest level attainable. This nurse practices primarily by intuition and is “deeply connected to the clinical situation. Interventions are implemented based on a strong foundation of knowledge and years of clinical experience” (Benner, 1984, pp. 34-35). The group’s choice of Benner’s theory model was based on the familiarity with this theory and its application to practice. This theory can be easily described and incorporated into institutions. The progression to each level can be easily documented and assessed. As a group progressing through these stages in our professional backgrounds and clinical experiences, the attainment of the level of expert has been very personal to each of us. Category of Theorist Benner’s theory falls in the classification of high middle range nursing the ...