Benner’s Stages of Nursing beginner, competent, proficient, and

expert.
WHO IS Patricia Benner?
Major Concept
 Born in
Hampton Virginia.  Benner suggest that a nurse can gain
 She knowledge without learning a specific
earned her Bachelor of Arts theory.
degree in nursing from  Using a strong educational foundation
Pasadena College in 1964. mixed with personal experiences, nurses
She was given a Master of can develop skills and gain knowledge of
Science in Medical-Surgical patient care.
Nursing from the University Dreyfus Model: Skill of Acquisition
of California at San
Francisco in 1970, and a  The Dreyfus model describes how
Ph.D. from the University of individuals progress through various
California at Berkeley in levels in their acquisition of skills and
1982 subsumes ideas with regard to how
 Known for From Novice to individuals learn. Such a model is being
Expert; Excellence and accepted almost without debate from
Power in Clinical Nursing physicians to explain the ‘acquisition’ of
Practice. clinical skills.
 She is currently a professor 5 Levels of Nursing Experience
emerita in the Department
of Physiological Nursing at 1. Novice - A novice is a beginner with no
the University of California experience. They are taught general rules
at San Francisco School of to help perform tasks, and their rule-
Nursing. governed behavior is limited and
inflexible. In other words, they are told
Novice to Expert Theory what to do and simply follow instruction.
I. The Novice to Expert Theory, a construct 2. Advanced Beginner - The advanced
theory first proposed by Hubert and beginner shows acceptable performance,
Stuart Dreyfus (1980) as the Dreyfus and has gained prior experience in actual
Model of Skill Acquisition, and later nursing situations. This helps the nurse
applied and modified to nursing by recognize recurring meaningful
Patricia Benner (1984) provides a very components so that principles, based on
useful and important theory that clearly those experiences, begin to formulate in
applies to nursing informatics. order to guide actions.
II. Benner developed a concept known as 3. Competent - A competent nurse
“From Novice to Expert.” This concept generally has two or three years’
explains that nurses develop skills and experience on the job in the same field.
an understanding of patient care over For example, two or three years in
time from a combination of a strong intensive care. The experience may also
educational foundation and personal be similar day-to-day situations. These
experiences. nurses are more aware of long-term goals,
III. Benner proposed that a nurse could gain and they gain perspective from planning
knowledge and skills without actually their own actions, which helps them
learning a theory. She describes this as a achieve greater efficiency and
nurse “knowing how” without “knowing organization.
that.” She further explains that the 4. Proficient - A proficient nurse perceives
development of knowledge in fields such and understands situations as whole
as nursing is made up of the extension of parts. He or she has a more holistic
knowledge through research and understanding of nursing, which
understanding through clinical improves decision-making. These nurses
experience. learn from experiences what to expect in
IV. The theory identifies five levels of certain situations, as well as how to
nursing experience: novice, advanced modify plans as needed.
5. Expert - Expert nurses no longer rely on
principles, rules, or guidelines to connect
situations and determine actions. They
have a deeper background of experience
and an intuitive grasp of clinical
situations. Their performances are fluid,
flexible, and highly-proficient. Benner’s
writings explain that nursing skills
through experience are a prerequisite for
becoming an expert nurse.

 The significance of this theory is that