Theorist and Rationale of Choice
Patricia Benner is one of the major theorists to have influenced the discipline of nursing in the 20 th century. She is credited for the theory of Novice to Expert that accurately describes the numerous stages of learning that an individual has to go through to acquire skills and knowledge in the nursing career. Through this process, individuals are able to gain high levels of expertise through the acquisition of expertise and an education background to ensure competence in the delivery of care to patients (Altmann, 2007). The theory was chosen primarily due to its integral aspect of identifying the importance of nursing practitioners going through the entire process as they realize what it takes to provide consumers with quality care and treatment.
Elements of Theory and Application
The Expert to Novice theory incorporates the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition theory by Hubert & Steward Dreyfus model as a basic foundation for the development of the theory (Benner, 2004). It identifies the basic idea of learning as an integral factor which includes gaining experience and education of the theoretical understanding on the provision of care to the patient. This theory identifies the need for future practitioners to engage in a traditional classroom setting as a means of receiving instruction from experts while simultaneously taking part in practice in a real world setting (Benner, 2004). The theorist identified five major stages in the model including novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. These stages involve inductive reasoning where observations, personal experiences in nursing, interviews, and surveys are a basic part of improving knowledge and competence in the expected care services for patients.
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Value of Theory
Benner’s theory of Novice to Expert is a logically organized concept that does not introduce any additional concepts in the understanding of its incorporation into the nursing field. It s clearly presents the various stages without the use of unnecessary wording or coined words (Murphy, 2012). Health providers will be able to improve the quality and efficacy of care and treatment if they ensure that their nursing practitioners can maintain these standards. The theory is simplistic and can easily be grasped or explained at the individual or organizational level (Murphy, 2012). The model can help provide guidance to the members of the society as it identifies impact of observations and experiences in the learning process.
References
Altmann, T. K. (2007). An evaluation of the seminal work of Patricia Benner: Theory or philosophy? Contemporary Nurse. 25 (3), 114-123.
Benner, P. (2004). Designing formal classification systems to better articulate knowledge, skills, and meanings in nursing practice. American Journal of Critical Care, 13 (5), 426-430.
Murphy, D. (2012). Novice to expert: clinical ladder programs as a recruitment and retention tool. Ohio Nurses Review, 87 (5), 16-17.
