Application of Benner’s Theory from Novice to Expert in Nursing Practice

Project 1

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1
AN OUTLINE OF BENNER’S THEORY................................................................................1
FIVE STAGES OF CLINICAL COMPETENCE AND WAYS IN WHICH NURSES
TRANSITION THROUGH TO BECOME AN EXPERT........................................................2
Five stages of clinical competence.........................................................................................2
Stages that nurses transition through to become expert.........................................................3
EXPLAINING OF THE TERM ADVANCED PRACTICE.....................................................4
DETERMINING THE FUNCTIONS OF A NOVICE VERSUS AN ADVANCED
PRACTICE NURSE..................................................................................................................4
RELATING BENNER’S THEORY TO THE NMBA STANDARDS OF PRACTICE..........5
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Proficiency as well as experience is being regarded as the essential component for the
nursing practices. Experience might lead to moral reasoning, institution as well as personal
knowledge. Considering this, the main aim of the current research report is to scrutinize the
application of Benner’s theory from novice to expert’ to nursing practice. The report will
throw some light on five stages of clinical competence and will explain the term advanced
practice. Further, the main functions of a novice versus an advanced practice nurse will also
be determined along with the relation of the Benner’s theory the NMBA standards of
practice.
AN OUTLINE OF BENNER’S THEORY
In the year 1982 Patricia Benner issues her their known as Benny’s theory which was
grounded on the elementary units of advancing levels of nursing experience. In addition to
this, the theory recommends that expert nurses develop skills as well as comprehension of
patient care with the passage of time by an effective educational background along with the
multitude of experiences. The levels being comprised in the theory are segregated in to five
stages from novice to expert and each of the level is serving as a foundation for the next
level. Novice is the beginner which does not have any experience and they are being taught
general rules for carrying out their task and duties (Pacific, 2016). An expert as defined by
Patricia Benner is the one that does not depend on any guidelines and rules and just make use
of his or her past experience for rendering care to the patient.
Other than this, the theory also suggests that of the nurse desire to grow as a nurse in
their chosen area then they are required to take into account the elementary units. Further,
Benny’s theory explains that nurses need skills and abilities to become an expert. The author
has applied the work to the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition. Additionally, she also
proposed that knowledge and comprehension can be improved through practical experience
by study and one can obtain this without learning the theory. Moreover, the author has also
conducted research and issues novice to expert in the year 1982 and makes suggestions that
nurses would have better learning through observation along from those nurses who have
wide array of knowledge and experience in the concerned subject area. Such types of nurse
act as a guide for them and help them in having a higher degree of skills and abilities
(Lyneham, Parkinson & Denholm, 2019).
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