Nursing relates to the promotion, protection, and optimization of one's health, illness prevention, averting patient suffering through diagnosis and treatment of ailments (Moccia et al., 2017). Ideally, the role and purpose of nursing remain to facilitate the proper health of people, families, communities, groups, and populations as a whole. There has been an array of theories and nursing guidelines that have been forwarded to steer nursing practice along with a particular course to avail such quality standards of care. One of the said theories advanced is Benner's Novice to Expert Theory that looks at the transitionary process and characteristics of what Benner divided into divided into five nursing stages (Benner et al., 2013). Detailed in this paper will be Benner's progression model, my current nursing stage analysis and finally, discussion of approaches and support systems that will facilitate progress to the next level.
Dr. Patricia Benner’s Stages of progression
The concept of patient care comprehension and developing nursing skills was introduced by Dr. Patricia Benner who believed that this process occurred over time (experience) with a sound education backing. Ideally, she proposed that a nurse could be able to gain relevant skills ("knowing how") and knowledge minus ever learning about the theory ("knowing that") (Benner et al., 2016). Furthermore, she detailed that development of knowledge within applied disciplines like medical and nursing practice encompassed the extension of nursing practical knowledge by researching, characterization and full comprehension of nursing. As such she conceptualizes in her work relating to nursing skills as experience being a prerequisite for a nurse to transforming to an expert.
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Benner describes five distinct stages that nurses transition through from the point of a novice, to an advanced beginner, to a competent, proficient and finally, to an expert nurse(Benner et al., 2016). The five stages bear characteristics that set them apart from each other depending on the stage a nurse is at;
The Novice Stage
The beginner nurse has barely any experience as regards medical practices.
Nurse behavior is rule-based and governed, limited and not flexible.
The nurse is taught how to deal with various tasks using general rules and approaches.
Context situations do not limit nursing rules at this stage, they are independent of defined cases and exist applied widely (Adiong, 2014).
Advanced beginner
The nurse at this stage has garnered experience relating to medical situations in recognizing reoccurrence of meaningful aspects.
At this level, the nurse demonstrates standard performance that is acceptable against established medical norms.
The nurse starts to formulate principles based on past experiences to steer her actions.
The Competent nurse
Equipped with considerable on the job experience in similar positions or same day-to-day activities, the nurse at this stage has acquired relevant expertise over some years.
The nurse can gain perspective by consciously planning her actions, abstract as well as analytical thinking thus achieving organization and high-efficiency levels.
At this stage, the nurse is more aware of and contemplates her long-term goals (Benner et al., 2013).
The proficient nurse
From experience as a lesson, the nurse can anticipate certain situations and how to mitigate them.
Perceives and comprehends circumstances as wholes.
The nurse is more holistic in her approach and understanding with improve decision-making abilities.
Expert nurse
Has broadened background of experience.
Bears intuitive handle on clinical situations.
The nurse possesses a much more flexible, fluid and highly proficient on-job performance.
The nurse operates independently; no longer relying on rules or principles to connect situations and decide action steps that follow (Benner et al., 2016).
Current Stage
Having graduated Nursing in August 2016 with less than a year's experience in nursing practice, I believe I am at the Novice stage of my nursing career. Currently working at a local hospital's Emergency Centre, I help out with the basic medical practices relevant to my short experience. Every day presents new challenges and situations that are new to me and that many a time require expert attention to effectively and efficiently deal with. The basic and limited knowledge I currently have probably best describes the characteristics of a beginner nurse that is not quite there when it comes to medical expertise (Adiong, 2014). Although I have the relevant medical education and knowledge, I am not yet at the level I desire to be at given the new challenges I deal with every day.
Progression to the next stage
I am focusing on upgrading my curriculum vitae to obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) that will equip my education background with the relevant knowledge I need in this field. Given the new challenges that present themselves to me at the Emergency wing of the hospital, I work at gaining an education upgrade will supplement my medical practice professionally. I believe an in-depth study and comprehension of the various contingencies in nursing and medical practice as a whole will push my cause further.The knowledge about my area of nursing and drive to progress to the advanced beginner level is achievable with the acquisition of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree (Moccia et al., 2017). Ideally, the degree will come in handy in helping me formulate medical ideas of best practice as well as accessing research options to support said ideas.
Type of Support
I will need all the support I can get most especially support from my family at home, my fellow colleges and medical department supervisor from the hospital I work at. Firstly, to facilitate my educational upgrade, my supervisor may need to consider and adjust my work plan to tailor it with my education time table. This together with the permission to advance in my studies is crucial and has to be approved by my supervisor and the hospital board at large.And finally, my family and work colleges will be vital in morale and financial backing of my nursing career move as I plan on pursuing it as a serious profession. Such an endeavor will not come easily without the support of my family and fellow nursing friends at the hospital.
Conclusion
Consequently, the nursing profession is not one that entails observance and application of learned practices but one that requires formal knowledge and experience in the medical field. As such, an experience and vest in learning more coupled with experience garnered in nursing practices over time form the prerequisites for a competent nurse (Benner et al., 2016). Through establishing and building experience in handling complex patient cases and upgrading my educational status, I am confident of progressing to the next Benner stages in medical practice and nursing. Therefore, with the realization of my BSN degree upgrade coupled with the experience, I will have garnered, progression to the next stages of nursing will be a feat achievable and possible.
References
Adiong, M. (2014). Patricia Benner: Novice-expert model.
Benner, P. E., Hooper-Kyriakidis, P. L., Stannard, D., & Benner, P. E. (2013). Clinical wisdom and interventions in acute and critical care: A thinking-in-action approach .
Benner, P. E., Ahrens, T., & Hooper-Kyriakidis, P. L. (2016). Medical-surgical nursing.
Moccia, P., Moss, L., National League for Nursing, & Alexander Street Press. (2017). Nursing theory: A circle of knowledge . New York, N.Y: National League for Nursing.
