Benner Fundamentals To Nursing Practice

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In summarizing two articles, I find theorist Benner fundamental to nursing practice. Patricia Benner is one of the theorist for the foundation of nursing. Her theories maybe controversial for some, but, her theory of the novice to expert, pertains to bedside knowledge compared to years of experience. Practice of nursing refers to the actual on the job behavior of experienced nurses considered to be experts by their peers and supervisors. (Day, 2009). In From Novice to Expert, Patricia Benner set five stages for her clinical competency. Novice, advance beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Novice, being the nursing student. Typically in the first year of their clinical experience, behavior in this phase is very limited and inflexible. …show more content…

In the Dreyfus brother model, it states that learning is experimental, (learning through experience), as well as per situation, and the pupil must go through the five stages to be considered an expert. In these articles, they are summarizing the rationales for the novice to expert experience. Standardizing patient care is not essential for the development of experts in the nursing profession. Following standard rules and protocols does not allow for the kind of engagement with a practical situation that requires to move from being competent to proficient expert. It is perhaps the hope that creating algorithms, good computer programs, and standard protocols will replace the expert. Expert nurses are vital in each specialty of nursing. Dr. Benner makes it clear that, expert nurses are infinitely adaptable with their responses in an unfolding situation, because they are able to engage situated, context driven reasoning that shifts between the general and the particular, and draws on similar past experiences. The expert nurse has the ability to teach and mentor the preceding phases of learning for the learning nurse. If the profession of nursing does not support expert practice or foster the development of expertise, it risks losing what is fundamental to nursing