Understanding Benner's Theory on Nursing Practice

An Understanding of
Benner's Theory on
Nursing Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Outline of Benner's Theory..........................................................................................................1
Five stages of Competence..........................................................................................................2
Advanced Nursing Practices........................................................................................................3
Functions of Novice v/s Advanced practising nurses..................................................................4
Relating Benner's theory to NMBA standards of practice...........................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
Books and Journals......................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
The report focuses over the applications of Benner's model of nursing in hospitality
sector. The task of nursing is complex but very important in this sector. Nurses around the world
are required to have qualities of compassion, competence, courage and communication while
undertaking their duties. Thus, a good understanding of how these task can be performed in a
better way, how skills and abilities of nurses can be enhanced and why it is important to proper
classification of nurses according to their capabilities is needed to make progressive decisions in
this respect (Aboshaiqah and Qasim, 2018). This can be done very efficiently using Benner's
model which talks about combination of strong knowledge and skills in order to achieve more
efficiencies. Further, the report talks about Advanced Nursing Practices, their significance and
usage, and also about relation between NMBA standards of Nursing with Benner's theory.
MAIN BODY
Outline of Benner's Theory
Patricia Benner, a nursing theorist, developed the idea that how nurses in clinical
practices and engaged in patients care can develop their skill and knowledge. Benner argued that
the task of caring, helping and understanding does not have any steadfast theories and knowledge
and the talents and skills in this field can better be acquired over the time with the combination
of strong educational knowledge and information as well as personal experience. The theorist
further goes on mentioning that nurses could gain knowledge as well skills without actually
focusing too much on educational informations and learning theories, to which some people
pertain as good bases to enhanced performances and presume necessary for the attainment of
efficiencies. Standard knowledge of guidelines, general understanding of human behaviour and
principles of ethics can help nurses reach highest levels of efficiency together with the
experience. Developments of skills and talent in the field of nursing can be very effectively made
through extended knowledge of standards and principles through research and understanding
supported by experiences (Baldwin and et.al., 2017). The theorist described this aspect as
“knowing how” without “knowing that”. The level of efficiency is higher in the cases where
experience of nurse in a particular field continues for a longer time, for example in the particular
field of intensive care, trauma centre etc.
1