Introduction
The main premise behind Benner’s theory of development involving the transition of a nurse from novice to expert involves the assumption that all individuals develop skills over time through the use of a sound educational base as well as a multitude of experiences in order to develop a certain degree of expertise within their particular field of nursing (Benner, 2011). In a way, expertise can be categorized as a movement away from reliance on distinct abstract principles that are presented in classroom lessons to the utilization of concrete experience in order to handle particular situations (Altmann, 2007) (Johnson, 2005). As such, from the perspective of Benner, theory and practice intertwine in the development process of a nurse with theory being the starting point from which all successive actions are based upon with practice being the means by which such actions are improved upon resulting in a greater degree of efficiency, proficiency, improved decision making capacity and intuition regarding appropriate actions for particular cases (McNiesh, Benner & Chesla, 2011). In relation to this, Lyneham, Parkinson & Denholm (2009) explains that Benner’s 5 levels of nursing experience (namely: Novice, Advanced beginner, Competent, Proficient and Expert) are the means by which a nurse’s transition away from abstract theory towards practical knowledge and experience can be evaluated (Lyneham, Parkinson & Denholm, 2009).
Application to being a Nurse Practitioner
As a new nurse practitioner, the aforementioned facts provided regarding nursing experience can be utilized by me in order to help me effectively transition from basing my actions purely on abstract lessons learned in class to utilizing clinical experience as the mean by which my actions are influenced. Benner explains that the more experience one has a nurse the better they become at their job as their actions become more in tune with “real world” experiences rather than theoretical jargon (Paley, 1996). My interpretation of this, in relation to being a nursing practitioner in primary care, is that my growth as a nurse should not be limited to what I learn but rather what I experience. This means that any educational advances I may undertake within my profession, whether it is in the form of a masters or doctoral degree, would be useless should I lack the sufficient experience necessary to actually be able to effectively apply what I learn to an actual clinical scenario. Benner even postulates that a person could effectively gain the appropriate knowledge and skills for a particular nursing role (knowing how) without necessarily learning the theory behind it (knowing that) ( Campbell-Reed, 2011). It is from such a perspective that I have come to realize that my growth as a nurse is based on the diverse types of roles and experiences that I choose to place myself in within a hospital setting.
Conclusion
As such, through the use of Benner’s theory of development, it has become clear that my role as a primary care provider, who assists a diverse range of patients, necessitates the need to continue my growth and development by thrusting myself in to a variety of clinical scenarios so as to gain a wide variety of different experiences that would enable me to respond to diverse array of cases as they arise. If I do this, it can be expected that I would be able to reach the last stage of Benner’s development theory within a short amount of time.
Reference List
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Benner, P. (2011). Formation in Professional Education: An Examination of the Relationship between Theories of Meaning and Theories of the Self. Journal Of Medicine & Philosophy, 36(4), 342-353.
Campbell-Reed, E. R. (2011). Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation – By Patricia Benner, Molly Sutphen, Victoria Leonard, Lisa Day; Educating
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Johnson, V. Y. (2005). Myths and Concerns: Benner’s Domains of Nursing Practice And Certification. Urologic Nursing, 25(3), 216.
Lyneham, J., Parkinson, C., & Denholm, C. (2009). Expert nursing practice: a mathematical explanation of Benner’s 5th stage of practice development. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 65(11), 2477-2484.
McNiesh, S., Benner, P., & Chesla, C. (2011). Learning Formative Skills of Nursing Practice in an Accelerated Program. Qualitative Health Research, 21(1), 51-61.
Paley, J. (1996). Intuition and expertise: comments on the Benner debate. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 23(4), 665-671.