Differences Between Novice and Expert Nurses
In contrast to novices who take their time to understand a situation because they are unfamiliar with it, experts can think through and solve challenges effectively. Experts can recognize patterns in data and find answers, which is only sometimes the case for novices. Experts approach reasoning and problem-solving differently than a novice would.
Clinically expert nurses set themselves apart from their counterparts by having a frequently intuitive capacity to effectively make crucial clinical decisions while understanding the entire context of a scenario (Nurius, 2018). The growth of expertise occurs when a nurse puts both practical and theoretical skills to the test in real-world clinical settings and refines both to improve clinical judgment and the standard of care, as highlighted in the course’s textbook, Psychological Perspective, page 265 (Lally & French, 2019).
Essential Skills for Clinical Nursing
To be a nurse, one must have the clinical, technical, and humanistic abilities to develop and support patient recovery, rehabilitation, healing, and disease prevention. A nurse has to use a wide range of skills, such as training, and transferable abilities like critical thinking and emotional intelligence, in a clinical facility.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Nurses frequently deal with various scenarios that require a significant degree of adaptability. They should remain adaptable and open to new and demanding situations, whether managing life-threatening cases or aiding other nursing staff to calm agitated patients. Enhancing flexibility can also help one create techniques for preparing for diverse circumstances in the nursing field.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
In nursing, critical thinking is essential for examining, interpreting, and synthesizing information (Delaney & McIntosh, 2020). As a nurse, one has to use the knowledge at hand, along with experience, to formulate a plan. A skilled nurse uses problem-solving techniques, which start with critical thinking.
Creativity in Patient Care
Nurses must rely on their creativity to think up fresh ideas and make choices, as demonstrated on page 328 of the book Lifespan Development (Lally & French, 2019). Building the skills needed to function well in a nursing career is possible by being detail-oriented and capable of approaching situations logically. To assure accuracy and compliance with record-keeping and patient care practices, a nurse must examine patient files, update treatment charts, note symptom changes, and record patient evaluations. This entails paying close attention to every detail.
The Role of Experience and Education in Skill Development
Nurses’ skills change because of experience and career progression. Nurses with experience have proved to be more skillful compared to new ones. Experience helps improve one’s quick decision-making at an unconscious, intuitive level.
Years of experience give nurses flexibility, versatility, advanced reflexive thinking, and crucial clinical nursing expertise and skills. Skill changes also occur due to a nurse’s solid educational base, since better or additional education results in nurse skill development. As a nurse, one can apply and integrate one’s theoretical knowledge with real-world scenarios, allowing most nurses to develop their skills.
Adapting to Challenges and Using Technology
Technological Proficiency in Nursing Practice
The ability to be flexible under trying circumstances must be shown in nursing expertise. This is achieved through working collaboratively and compromising with others, settling disputes, and putting forward solutions that promote the well-being and health of patients. To properly carry out activities, nurses must demonstrate their ability to use technology by honing their skills with technological programs, including patient intake databases and insurance and billing software (Manetti, 2018).
Anticipating Clinical Reactions
For a nurse, it is common to spot unanticipated clinical reactions and, therefore, should warn people of impending issues before they arise. In nursing, having a holistic understanding of situations and the ability to react appropriately without wasting time on unnecessary options is essential. These opportunities come from mentored clinical learning experiences in classrooms and practice sites. To succeed in one’s field of expertise, it’s critical to develop one’s skills and abilities, and it is crucial to show that one can use one’s skills successfully in any job setting.
References
Delaney, K. R., & McIntosh, D. (2020). Exploring the thinking, reasoning and clinical approach of expert child psychiatric nurses. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 34(1), 41–49. Web.
Lally, M., & French, S. V. (2019). Lifespan Development. A Psychological Perspective, 1–467.
Manetti, W. (2018). Sound clinical judgment in nursing: A concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 54(1), 102–110. Web.
Nurius, P. (2018). Capturing clinical expertise: An analysis of knowledge “mining” through expert system development. Clinical Psychology Review, 12(7), 705–717. Web.