Posted: July 26th, 2022

Application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice

Assignment: Application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice

Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice outlines the progression of nurses from novice to expert through five stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. This theory emphasizes the importance of education, leadership, and practical experience in the development of nursing competence. The novice stage involves learning the basics of nursing under the guidance of an instructor, while the advanced beginner stage involves applying theoretical knowledge to actual patient care. The competent stage involves gaining two years of practical experience, the proficient stage involves relying on principles and guidelines in decision-making, and the expert stage involves an intuitive understanding of clinical situations. The theory also emphasizes the importance of professional development programs, nursing education, and nursing theories in the development of nursing practice. Advanced practice involves the use of advanced nursing skills and decision-making. Overall, Benner’s theory provides a framework for the development of nursing competence through education and experience.
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Study Notes:
Application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice
Being a unique profession, the nursing practice is attributed to top-notch experience from knowledge development and a span of professional growth. Like most scientific professions, nursing is backed up with the basis of theories that seek to provide the necessary framework, assessment, and recognition of the practice from different points of view. One of the most critical theories in the nursing field is Benner’s novice to expert theory. Patricia Benner, the novice to expert theory founder, carried out intense research of ways to attain proficiency and experience as an essential in the nursing practice (Munro, 2019). Therefore, by employing Benner’s novice to expert theory, it outlines the necessity of education, leadership and management, and nursing practice to achieve competence. This paper discusses Benner’s novice to expert theory and its application in the nursing practice.
The theory is more inclined to skill acquisition, practical knowledge, clinical knowledge and experience achieved over some time. It asserts that as a nursing practitioner progresses through the different levels of the theory, there are evident changes in one’s skills, performance, and expertise. This is validated through Patricia Benner’s novice to the expert theory, where she develops skills and knowledge through education and overtime experiences. She is deeply rooted in different domains that shape nursing practice, including teaching and coaching functions, effective management of multifaceted situations, diagnostics client monitoring function, administration and motoring regimes, workforce and organization competencies, and quality health care practices (Munro, 2019). These theoretical concepts are deployed in different practice sectors where the practitioners are compelled to adhere to active prerequisite skills.
Benner’s theory in the understanding practice helps the nurses identify the necessary frameworks that help them move the levels of the practice and acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience from the novice to expert. According to Benner, she believed in the ability of the nurses to progress through the stages from novice to expert when accorded sufficient time and focus.
Benner’s Novice to Expert
Dr. Patricia Benner introduced the novice to expert model in 1982 to analyze the nurse’s skills and patient understanding over time. It was derived from the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition and modified to provide a more detailed Assessment of the nursing practices. The model is divided into five models: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert (Munro, 2019).herein are the different levels a nursing practitioner undergoes in the process of becoming an expert in the practice.
The five stages of clinical competence
Stage 1: Novice
Firstly, the novice stage, whereby the individual is not exposed to the previous experience of the situation at hand, acts as an introduction stage whereby the nurses are taught the practice basics. At this stage, the students work under the clear guidance of an instructor. Although notably, the nurses related to the theoretical aspects of clinical practice, the educators are tasked with imparting and integrating this knowledge to actual patient and healthcare practices (Munro, 2019). According to Benner, nurses at the novice level need to be taught about the patient’s condition to recognize features in any situation. The educators adopt strict rules to ensure that the nursing practice is governed since they have no prior practice experience.
Stage 2: Advanced beginner
This is the second stage of Benner’s novice to expert theory. According to the nursing theories, in this stage, the new graduates are often involved in the performance of less technical experiences. An advance beginner relates to the theoretical aspects of the practice with actual events though in a narrower scope. The nurses begin to recognize significant components attributed to past experiences for the advanced beginner as they begin to formulate guiding principles (Oshvandi, 2016).
Stage 3; Competent
The third level of Benner’s novice to expert theory is competence. In the competent stage, it is usually a nurse who has gained at least two years of experience doing similar day to day operations as he or she has to obtain competence and identify his or her long-range goals Nurses have long-term goals, pushing limits to gain perspective and plan their actions obtaining more efficiency. It is a pertinent stage as it establishes perspective improves one’s organization.
Stage 4: Proficient
In this stage, the nurse relies on principles guidelines in situations whereby they need to determine actions. The proficient nurse at this stage perceives situations wholly rather than in terms of aspects. Benner articulates that at this stage, the nurse presents him or herself more articulately with improving decision making and holistic approach the ability to modify plans where the need is to situations through relations to past experiences the clinical situations (Munro, 2019).
Stage 5: Expert
Nurses at the expert level have a more profound background of experience in practice; thus, their performance becomes more fluid, highly proficient, and flexible. In addition, according to Benner, at this stage, the nurse has a better understanding and deeper connection to situations and does not rely on analytic principles but rather an intuitive grasp of situations to determine the appropriate actions. As a result, they become more proficient, fluid, and flexible with highly skilled analytical tools (Munro, 2019). Through the levels, Benner identifies the importance of professional development programs, nursing education, and nursing theories models to ensure that those in the nursing practice develop the necessary perception and experiences during their service. In addition, Benner’s novice to expert model fosters individualized nursing development and perceptions essential in the nursing practice (Oshvandi, 2016).

Advanced practice.
Advanced practice is whereby the nurse holds the responsibilities and skills to perform primary care giver condition and disease management, develop differential diagnosis, perform comprehensive physical examination and obtain health histories of patients, result interpretation maintaining patient records, and conducting patient referrals and more actively inveigled in research studies (Woo, 2017). As an advanced practice nurse, one possesses good communication skills, improved decision making, empathy, scientific aptitude and become a continual learner.

Functions of the Novice Versus an Advanced Nurse.
The Advanced and the novice nurse perform different functions. The novice nurse is often involved in checks such as the blood pressure, output, weight, among other measurable parameters. The advanced nurse performs physical examination, diagnosis of the patient which often leads to developmental, functional, phycological or laboratory tests (Woo, 2017). Additionally, the novice nurse often learns the protocols and rules observed in the practice and since they are beginners are not involved in making ad critical care and discretionary judgments, an advanced nurse is more knowledgeable and can make interpretations and diagnosis while maintaining the records of the patients. The Advanced nurse takes on more complex tasks as compared to the novice nurse since they have prior experience of working in similar situations on day-to-day basis and have developed competence and experience while the novice is the introductory stage of learning.

Relate Benner’s theory in the NMBA standards of practice
According to the Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia.it adheres to some of the provision and guidelines of the Benner’s novice to expert theory that governs the practice. They do so in different ways through;
Application in NMBA education;
Benner’s novice to expert theory has been integrated with nursing education in different levels of nursing competency. Through this, nurses are introduced to concepts of performance characteristics and needs in their processions through various developmental stages. By understanding the importance of the skills and achievement of various competency levels, the nurses, through their careers s learn to respond to different cues depending on their years of experience (Bamford-Wade, 2020). The step-by-step process allows the practitioners to gain more knowledge over time. Furthermore, simulators’ adoption is an efficient instrumental training tool employed in these steps to provide advanced skills, especially in the novice stage (Oshvandi, 2016). In the advanced beginners, it imparts self-confidence and the belief in relying on their skills. Many nursing schools have incorporated Benner’s novice to expert philosophy to shape skill acquisition as per the requirements for developing their nursing curriculum. And for the institutions that have adopted the philosophy have witnessed a positive transformation in the skill acquiring and competency among their practitioners. Its application in nursing education comes in handy to help nursing practices develop skills and knowledge through experience (Munro, 2019).
Application in leadership;
Notably, Benner’s novice to expert theory has been adopted in the nursing practice and vastly applicable in leadership and management. The expert nurses lead by example through risk tasking, being social models dan mentors, thus influencing those in practice to pick up leadership development skills. Additionally, the experts are actively involved in less experienced nursing by steering them to learn how to interpret situations better, thus fostering efficacy and effectiveness in matters performance (Munro, 2019). The expert nurses are naturally leadership shaped through the novice to expert theory who have achieved self-direction and breakthrough in their performance through the profession. Secondly, the novice to expert theory is an essential element in nursing management. The theory explains the importance of nursing management that entails assessing practitioners and managers to ensure they gain competencies n their respective areas of performance.

Application in the nursing practice;
The Benner novice to expert theory has been tributed to the improved guidance of the nurse practiced by influencing innovative changes. Through her view of the practice, her research and philosophy have transformed the view of the practice with more emphasis on the nature of the practice, imparting knowledge that has been used in practice models and the increased advances in nursing research. Furthermore, her research has been used extensively in nursing career development, clinical judgment, understanding perceptual acuity, ethical compartment, and improved experimental learning (Oshvandi, 2016). Moreover, in eh practice, Benner’s theory has been actively used to create foundations, skills acquisition, and improved nursing experience. Notably, Banner’s theory had been used to improve patient care the improved guidance to improve optimally.
The novice to expert model has come in handy today in the health care realm that has helped develop leadership programs, mentorship programs, and increased nurse retention. Therefore, it is safe to say that the model has imparted beneficial practices in the healthcare realm. Through skill acquisitions and knowledge through the progress in each stage of the levels, fostering improved patient outcomes reduces role stoles (Munro, 2019). Work-friendly environments as each player n adequately prepared for their positions, the training, mental being it in practice, managerial and administration flows smoothly ad result of the acquired trainer and guidance form the novice to expert model.

The Evolving Landscape of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Contemporary Nursing Practice

Nursing practice is a dynamic and evolving field that requires continual adaptation and improvement to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care. To meet this demand, nursing theories provide a framework for understanding and guiding professional nursing practice. One such influential theory is Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory, which has significantly influenced the nursing profession for decades. This article explores the future implications of Benner’s theory in nursing practice, highlighting its continued relevance in the face of changing healthcare landscapes.

Understanding Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory

Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory, first proposed in 1982, describes a five-stage developmental continuum that nurses progress through as they gain expertise in their practice. The stages include novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. According to Benner, nurses start as novices, lacking experience and relying on rules and guidelines to perform tasks. With time and clinical exposure, they advance to higher stages, where intuitive decision-making and holistic understanding of patient care become more prominent.

Implications for Contemporary Nursing Practice

Benner’s theory remains highly relevant and applicable in contemporary nursing practice. Despite the evolution of healthcare technologies and changes in the nursing profession, the foundational principles of the theory hold true. Here are some key implications:

1. Education and Skill Development: Benner’s theory emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and continuous professional development in nursing. Nursing education programs should focus on providing ample clinical opportunities for students to progress through the stages and foster reflective thinking, critical analysis, and decision-making skills. Competency-based assessments should be aligned with the theory to gauge students’ progress accurately.
2. Mentorship and Role Modeling: Experienced nurses can play a crucial role in guiding novice nurses through the stages of Benner’s theory. By providing mentorship and serving as positive role models, experienced nurses can facilitate the acquisition of clinical knowledge, skills, and professional values. This mentorship can help bridge the gap between theory and practice, contributing to the development of competent and proficient nurses.
3. Evidence-Based Practice: Benner’s theory supports the integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) into nursing care. As nurses progress from novice to expert, they develop the ability to critically evaluate research findings, incorporate evidence into practice, and adapt interventions based on patient needs. EBP aligns with Benner’s emphasis on holistic patient-centered care, promoting the delivery of safe and effective nursing care.
4. Leadership and Clinical Decision-Making: The expert stage of Benner’s theory highlights the importance of clinical decision-making based on intuition and holistic understanding. In contemporary nursing practice, expert nurses are well-positioned to assume leadership roles, advocate for patient-centered care, and contribute to policy development. Their ability to make complex clinical judgments and integrate knowledge from various sources is crucial in improving patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.

Conclusion
In Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert theory, she discusses the importance of the theory to nurses on how they must acquire the nursing skills and the necessary experiences that equip them to become experts. He emphasizes the importee of each stage that helps the nurse build up skills to expertise while being direly dependent on the previous steps. The theory focuses on the five levels of the theory, novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Through these levels, the nurse moves from being under guidance to recognizing components that recur, adopting critical thinking, and finally becoming an expert with vast knowledge of the practice/ this makes one efficient in responding to situations effectively. The theory emphasizes the importance of long term and ongoing career development in helping the practitioner tackle the competent of the practice.

As the nursing profession continues to evolve, Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory remains highly relevant in guiding nursing practice. By recognizing the developmental stages nurses go through as they gain expertise, the theory informs education, mentorship, evidence-based practice, and leadership. Incorporating the principles of Benner’s theory into nursing practice can contribute to the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care and the professional growth of nurses.

References
Bamford-Wade, A., Lavender, S., Massey, D., Anderson, V., Clayton, S., & Johnston, A. (2020). A case study-Implementing a registered nurse professional recognition program across a Queensland hospital and health service. Nurse education in practice, 42, 102689.
Bauce, K., Kaylor, M.B., Staysniak, G. and Etcher, L., 2023. Use of theory to guide integration of virtual reality technology in nursing education: A scoping study. Journal of Professional Nursing, 44, pp.1-7.
Munro, J. (2019, May). Applying Benner’s ‘novice to expert theory in wound care nursing higher education and practice: protocol for a qualitative multimethod research study to explore the broader effects of organizational policy enactment. In TVS 2019–The Conference.
Oshvandi, K., Moghadam, A. S., Khatiban, M., Cheraghi, F., Borzu, R., & Moradi, Y. (2016). On the application of novice to expert theory in nursing; a systematic review. Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 9(4), 3014-3020.
Benner, P. (1982). From novice to expert. American Journal of Nursing, 82(3), 402-407.
Manzano-García, G., & Ayala-Calvo, J. C. (2016). Novice to expert nurses and Caring: Using Benner’s Model to understand the process and components. Nurse Education Today, 36, 189-194.
Fagerström, L. (2016). Reflections on Benner: A nursing theory essay for the 21st century. Nursing Science Quarterly, 29(4), 330-334.
Tolga, A. (2021). Benner’s novice to expert theory: The nature of becoming expert. Holistic Nursing Practice, 35(3), 169-172.
Ozdemir, N.G., 2019. The development of nurses’ individualized care perceptions and practices: Benner’s novice to expert model perspective. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 12(2), pp.1279-1285.
Wright, C. and Matthews, K., 2022. An intentional approach to the development and implementation of meaningful assessment in advanced radiation therapy practice curricula. Technical Innovations & Patient Support in Radiation Oncology, 24, pp.13-18.
Woo, B. F. Y., Lee, J. X. Y., & San Tam, W. W. (2017). The impact of the advanced practice nursing role on quality of care, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost in the emergency and critical care settings: a systematic review. Human resources for health, 15(1), 1-22.

Application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice

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Research Essay on Application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice

1. Introduction
Conclusively, the theory is based on the fact that there are categorically distinct and well-defined knowledge and skill acquisition processes of every level that an individual undergoes. This theory has been successfully used as a basis in different knowledge transfer scenarios in the practice and is a recommended guideline by the National Institute of Health, in the assessment and evaluation of new technologies in the practice as a form of continuing education. By integrating this theory in such education programs, the aim is to realize a more effective and beneficial use of technology through encouraging rigorous ongoing assessment.
The Novice to Expert theory is knowledge and opinion-based, proposing that an individual passes through five levels of nursing experience: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Every stage has its own hallmarks in terms of the experiences of the professional and the kind of knowledge to be acquired. As a well-defined knowledge development theory, it provides a supportive conceptual framework for experienced-based learning. On the other hand, her work has expanded the knowledge base of practice and the forms of ethical comportment. The theory further facilitates knowledge transfer in that it provides the skills and conditions important for decision making and the many resources an individual can learn from. It goes further to identify the attention of different practices in a social science and in the area of change. By taking into account modern technology and the many things it offers, the theory has a transformative power in the nursing practice as Patricia suggests and has helped many professionals to consider the many technological advances and how to suitably apply them.
The importance of knowledge in the practice of nursing cannot be overemphasized. There are a number of theories and models put forward by scholars as a way of shedding more light on the knowledge acquisition process and its impacts on the practice. Patricia Benner proposed one of the well-known nursing theories: the Novice to Expert theory in 1984, which has since been adopted in the field of nursing. Benner has an extensive background in knowledge development and the application of knowledge in practice. She has earned her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, and later did a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She has held the position of nurse scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Martinez, California. Over the years, she has developed many educational materials for continuing education in-service education in North America and Europe.
1.1 Background of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory
Benner’s Novice to Expert theory, initially introduced in 1982, is utilized to clarify the foundations of ability acquisition in nursing. Patricia Benner explained that one could acquire nursing knowledge and skills through practice and experience. According to this theory, somebody could learn the basic knowledge and skills from the classroom but to improve proficiency, one required to practice over time. She proposed that individuals could acquire nursing knowledge and skills over time as they move from novice to expert. It really impressed me that Benner’s attention was not on how expertise could be measured, however on the relevance of the professional nurse’s experience. She skillfully took a place on the continuing debate about whether nursing was an artwork that requires talent and creativity or a science. By depending on analysis and expertise, her work has supplied a foundation for curriculum development in nursing, with a deal with both beginners and professional nurses. According to Benner, while books and lectures were helpful to ascertain a knowledge base in nursing, the acquisition of experience and scientific knowledge in medical nursing was forever a requirement for practice in the beginning levels of professional development.
1.2 Significance of Applying the Theory in Nursing Practice
The theory is significant to nursing research, education, and administration. The research will help in arriving at a comprehensive understanding of the real issues and how they affect the nursing practice. It can also provide a better understanding of the relationship between the nurses and the patients. On the other hand, the theory can be taught to nursing students so that they can understand the knowledge and work context and therefore help them cope with workplace issues as they transition from one stage of proficiency to another. By providing them with clinical experiences that are well designed to enhance acquaintance, the students can increase confidence in their performance. In addition to that, the theory can give the understanding to various nursing groups and the administration to understand how knowledge and skill acquisition can be facilitated through proper workplace experience. This can help in making sure that the nursing resources are efficiently utilized in order to offer effective and efficient healthcare services. The theory can also be used to direct development programs for experienced practices to move from one stage to the next to transition and skills improvement so as to attain successful proficiency. This is because it entails creating an environment in which continuous practice can occur and provide sustained skill acquisition and proficiency. Last but not least, it can make a great contribution to attaining effective management in nursing through utilization of the knowledge and experience derived from the use of the theory. Since it illustrates the necessity for provision of resourceful workplace as well as guidance for the use of such resources, it can lead to presentation and management of patients in the most comprehensive and cost-effective way. The research will help in arriving at a comprehensive understanding of the real issues and how they affect the nursing practice. It can also establish the systematic methodology on how the skills and knowledge in nursing practice can be acquired so as to foster efficiency and proficiency in nursing practice. On the other hand, the theory can be taught to nursing students so that they can understand the knowledge and work context and therefore help them cope with workplace issues as they transition from one stage of proficiency to another.
2. Understanding Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory
The primary focus of Benner’s framework is to provide knowledge acquisition and skill development. In this theory, there are five stages of skill acquisition. The first stage is novice which focuses on the performance of tasks as it is based on rules and regulations. The second stage is advanced beginner, who still do not understand the big picture but they have enough knowledge that they can identify meaningful aspects and can make clinical decisions. The third and most important stage is competence. In this stage, the nurse is able to plan and to focus on the most important aspects. Proficient is the fourth stage in which a nurse perceives the situation as a whole, with an understanding of what needs to be attended to first. The last stage is the expert where the nurse no longer relies on rules, guidelines or maxims and they have an intuitive grasp of each situation and zeroes in on the accurate region of the problem. Benner’s theory suggests that expert nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care over time through a proper educational background as well as a multitude of experiences. Also, the expert nurse can now see the situation as a whole, with an understanding of what is most important. Also, they know from the patient’s record what to expect. For example, a patient that has a record of high blood sugar and they are getting a breathing treatment. This theory help communicates that the nurse has progressed to a certain extent and can understand what she needs to focus on, in accordance with her level of experience. Every nurse that dreams of being a well practiced and recognizable profession in the health care society need to realize the value of continuous learning and experience in order to reach the standard that he or she would like to. Similarly, when a novice nurse moves on to becoming an expert, the dynamics of the nurse-patient health care relationship will change for the better, with nurses being more efficient and less stressed. Through proper education and continuous self development, a novice nurse can surely climb the ladder one stage at a time and ultimately becoming a professional and an expert in the field of work. As a learner in health care and as a future health care professional, this theory will be helpful as it has provided insights of how skill and knowledge can be obtained in nursing practice. It provides a guiding path for a novice nurse like me to continuously learn and understand the experiences received from day to day work because each experience can be learned and internalized, and there are patients of different conditions and different approach needed. Every patient is a unique individual and deserves the best quality of life and respect. Through continuous learning and experience, I can be that professional and knowledgeable nurse that I always dream of.
2.1 Five Stages of Skill Acquisition
Moving on to the depth of the theory, Benner states that skill acquisition within the Dreyfus model occurs at five levels. These five levels of skill acquisition are novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. A closer look at these stages brings to light the learning situation, the role of abstract and analytic rules, experiential learning, and the accepted decision making in nursing practice. In the first level, the novice is bound by the absence of experience and rules are needed to guide performance. A novice without the rules would experience anxiety and feelings of powerlessness hence stagnating the learning process. The second level is advanced beginner where the nurse is situated in a nursing context, has previous experience in a similar situation and is able to demonstrate acceptable performance. By this time, the rules are crucial because they guard against the possibility of missing an important piece in the decision making process. The third level of skill acquisition is competent and the individual has the meaning of actions in certain contexts. Moreover, three types of knowledge can be identified from this level of skill acquisition and that is the understanding of the nature of the situation, the meaning of wise action and the capacity to plan and execute. On the other hand, the proficient level is marked by a holistic understanding of the situation and the long term goals determine the plan of action. It is at this level that the perception that fully relies on maxims. The final stage of skill acquisition is the expert where the nurse no longer relies on an analytic principle or maxims such as “always” and “never”. Rather, the situation is perceived in the whole and the individual ‘sees’ the situation in terms of what is absent and what has yet to evolve. A deep understanding of the situation dictate the fitting action and it is from an internal sense of what is necessary that guides proficient behavior. This vast and rich source of knowledge and the expertise in which it is made manifest is the goal for generation of nursing theory and philosophy.
2.2 Key Concepts and Principles of the Theory
The nature and importance of clinical knowledge in nursing, or what it means to know clinically and according to Dr. Patricia Benner, is the understanding and application of facts and theories to a particular patient. At that time, one will begin to sort information by importance and apply learned reasoning parameters, so as to be able to both assess and intervene in different clinical situations. Over time and with different experiences, the student will be able to recognize when certain phenomena occur and in recognizing what is most important in a specific situation, the student will then be able to make better decisions. Dr. Benner’s intention was to summarize the “know-how” of nursing practice, to describe the components of clinical knowledge and to develop a model which captures the development of the nurse from a novice to an expert. The novice-to-expert model is based upon practice and experience and is composed of five levels, which serve as stepping stones and are characterized by progress in clinical acumen and decision-making. This is not to say that the expert nurse in such a model disregards the knowledge, facts and theories of the previous levels, but rather that the use of this knowledge becomes more acute and as a result, an expert nurse will rely on a deep situational perception which is more readily described as knowledge in action. The experience in the clinical situations helps the nurse to recognize recurrent clinical exemplars. Gradually, the nurse will no longer rely on principles, rules and guidelines with each particular situation. This observation fosters among nurses the type of knowledge that is exclusive to safe and effective clinical practice.
2.3 Critiques and Limitations of the Theory
The theory is questionable given the developing acknowledgment of the multidimensional idea of skill. Benner’s idea of skill acquisition recommends an as far as anyone knows direct movement from beginner to expert. Considerably further research is expected to examine the significance of instinct and feeling in acquisition and execution of skill. Another significant disservice to Benner’s work is that her models don’t put a significant accentuation on proficient norms. Benner’s emphasis on how important it is to be adaptable and act appropriately according to the specific circumstance may not entirely incorporate proficient norms and the significance of adherence to these guidelines in the present medically legitimate and managed workplaces. The models don’t take into full thought the significance of goal-based treatment and that individual actions may be partially assessed. By making the case that expert status is described by the ability of the specialist to adapt in a given circumstance and therefore analyze and provide appropriate action, it may be felt that the control of the individual in that it is appropriate or necessary to change a rule may be refuted. The significance of proficient standards and adherence to responsible practice cannot be misunderstood and it is argued that the models presented by Benner are lacking in this critical aspect of nursing and patient care. Her work reflects great quality in that it focuses on presenting the humanistic and caring aspects of nursing practice on the contrary to the technical and procedural demands and the methods of evaluation that govern the field. Her work has significantly enhanced an understanding of how important instinct and emotion are in a skilled and informed thought process and that the acquisition of skill may be most effectively achieved when the individual undergoes varied experiences that enable reflection and the creation of meaning from the ongoing situations and sets of conditions.
3. Implementing Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice
The third section, “Implementing Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Nursing Practice”, is the focus of this essay. The writers explain that, in today’s healthcare environment, nurse educators must make nursing theory meaningful and essential to nursing practice. Benner’s application to nursing education is addressed, and various strategies to include Benner’s Novice to Expert theory into nursing education highlight the significance of this theory and its application. The writers argue that providing opportunities for students to enter and experience the different levels of skill and knowledge acquisition using the Benner’s Novice to Expert model, nurse educators can structure the learning environments and create a supportive integration of theory and practice. Second, the theory of Novice to Expert is used to direct patient care, enabling the healthcare provider to look at different levels of experience and knowledge acquisition. For example, a novice is tasked with gaining experience. More often than not, the painstaking and measurement for doing things are emphasized without a sense of responsibility involving the patient’s condition. On the other hand, an advanced beginner will focus on aspects of patient care and not routine, as the individual would increase more proficiency in current situations. Progressively, the theory’s implementation in professional development and career advance is addressed. The writers suggest that Benner’s model proposes that expert nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care over time through a proper educational base as well as a multitude of experiences. It is mentioned that the employers, by recognizing and supporting professional development for their nurses, could move novice and advanced beginners from a position of doing tasks to the increase in professional knowledge and more meaningful quality of care. In conclusion of section three, the writers argue that in future healthcare reform, more research in applying Benner’s theory and its impact in nursing practice will surface. The theory is described in the essay as a potential variation of “ageing” way of nursing care in a healthcare environment where “body work” prevails and with the technology advance in healthcare provision. This last section of the essay outlines the significance of exploring the potential application of Benner’s Novice to Expert theory in the current nursing practice from a clinical leadership standpoint. It begins with the writers arguing that there are very few nursing transcriptional leaders practicing and that lack of research and guideline means such leaders have little chance to develop and grow. By identifying the issues like the “absence of an articulated professional knowledge”, the writer suggests that through the guidance of Benner’s theory, a structured clinical leadership development program can be developed and implemented in a healthcare facility, offering career advance and research possibility in the field of nursing leadership. An illustration of suggested five phases of the program proposed provides a clear direction of how to integrate Benner’s theory step by step into the development of clinical leadership and invaluable knowledge about the succession of nursing leadership can be obtained.
3.1 Incorporating the Theory into Nursing Education Programs
In another aspect, application of Benner’s theory also provides a narrative based platform which enables all learners across the spectrum to reflect in action and upon action. This encourages and facilitates the acquisition of reflective skills aiding the student in their ability to consider changes and adaptation of their practice.
By explicitly recognising the expertise embedded within the role of the practice placement ‘teacher’, this concept also supports the requirement of developing practice teachers established within the NMC Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice. If the clinical mentor adopts the ideologically adverse stance of error avoiding and risk-focused practice, the student may perceive danger and thus become encumbered at the Advanced Beginner/competent stage.
In addition, Benner’s theory can be used to inform curriculum design and the structuring of nursing programs. For example, educators can ensure that the learning outcomes of a particular module or course reflect the relevant stages of skill acquisition. Also, by offering a combination of theoretical teaching, practical experience and exposure to clinical settings, students have the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in a way that mirrors the developmental trajectory outlined in the theory. This can help students to make sense of their learning and understand the relevance and importance of different elements of the curriculum.
There are numerous ways to integrate Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory into nursing education. One of the most common applications is in the assessment of learning and development. Educators can use the principles and concepts of the theory to evaluate students’ progress in both theoretical and practical skills. By understanding the different stages of skill acquisition, educators can tailor their teaching methods and provide the necessary support and guidance to help students progress to the next level.
3.2 Using the Theory to Guide Clinical Decision-Making
To apply the Benner’s theory to practice, a nurse should be able to identify the level of expertise of a nurse and provide a planned guidance to the nurse. From the novice stage where a nurse has no experience to the expert stage where a nurse has gained 5-year experience, a nurse will use the knowledge that has been gained in each stage to provide patient care. The expert nurse is able to make good clinical judgement and provide a care plan suitable for a patient. Arriaga mentioned that the process of diagnosing and investigation was intertwined and it was vital that the nurses maintained an open perspective. In his paper, he gives a clinical scenario of his mother who died of colorectal cancer, from which the clinical presentation and the clinical judgement were discussed. The account of the years of experience Arriaga had, having been given the medical knowledge and the information from the investigation, has reflected the description of Benner’s expert practice. His work provided an understanding of the experience he gained in the practice. When his mother had the symptom and took the consideration of frequent competitor, the impact of walking and the relationship of the sweating, clinical investigation was followed in the evidence of staging and prognosis. It was clear that the personal feeling towards the patient would affect the clinical judgement. The understanding from the investigation alone would not be sufficient. However, in the paper Arriaga was more focused on the compliment of the theory rather than discussing the emotional and the morality of the patient and the family, but they can also change the clinical judgement. His work has complemented the Benner’s theory in which nurses have the awareness and the knowledge to adapt the experience and be flexible. He also supports the idea that different strategies should be taken in each stage since competent and good care to the client will be achieved.
3.3 Enhancing Professional Development and Career Advancement
Many formal accredited organizations also encourage and expect staff nurses to engage in formal professional development efforts. These are activities, such as pursuing advanced education or specialty certification, that increase the knowledge and skill of the nurse in a particular area of practice. The utilization of a validated skill assessment tool that aids in promoting career progression represents an objective, easy-to-understand method for assisting nurses in their development. Currently, there are no widely used tools that assess nursing skill using Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory as a basis for evaluation. However, it is likely that, over time, as the power of applying the theory to professional development becomes better understood, such tools will be developed and validated in research and practice. The ultimate goal for professional growth is based on the personal initiative of the individual nurse. This goal rests on the effectiveness of the nursing leader in recognizing and assisting staff in using Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory as a guide for their development. The medical profession is steeped in tradition and is often slow to accept new theory to guide practice. However, the use of Benner’s Theory in actual practice has shown increasing support from leaders as the potential impact on issues related to quality of patient care and satisfaction is recognized. It is also likely that pressures for cost containment in healthcare and the need for improved nurse retention and job satisfaction will lead to greater utilization of effective, concrete tools for assessing the progression of skill in nursing, such as that proposed by Benner and colleagues.
3.4 Overcoming Challenges in Applying the Theory
Creating a paradigm shift
One of the primary challenges in applying Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory lies in shifting the paradigm of thinking from a ‘one size fits all’ model of nursing education and practice into a dynamic, individualized approach that takes into account the unique knowledge and skill set of each nurse. Such a shift in thinking is crucial to implement a competency-based model that is recommended by the Institute of Medicine. At this model, individuals move away from time-based and criticisms about having too many bed nurses and not enough advanced practice nurses. Instead, they should focus their efforts to mentor others and learn more about the model and advancements in healthcare. Overcoming this challenge requires collective efforts from nursing leaders, educators, administrators, and clinical practice mentors to enlighten all nurses on the importance of critical thinking and evidence-based practice as key factors that contribute to improved clinical outcomes in their practice. Also, identifying key interventions and strategies to implement a competency-based model would be a crucial success in the future. Second, since nursing is a global profession, the acceptance and application of Benner’s model varies among different countries due to the forte of standardization in nursing education practice and regulation. However, to grow and maintain workforce mobility in today’s healthcare sector, a common and yet dynamic model should be accepted. Consequently, audit and evaluation of the logic of the model over time is crucial as the model experts should consider assimilating new advancements and the language or thinking that the next generation may understand easily. Also, the correctness of homeostatic language that is being used in the nursing environment may also prove to be an unfair judgment of critiques who are supporting standardization. Third, the theory has been well accepted in interdisciplinary healthcare settings in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. A possible solution to minimize this challenge is to include graduate courses, collaborative community projects offered to other healthcare professionals so as to facilitate the dissemination of the knowledge to other healthcare members.
4. Case Studies and Examples of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Action
The next section of the article is “4. Case Studies and Examples of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in Action”. The author presents examples that demonstrate how the theory is used in practice. The first case study examines its application in a pediatric intensive care unit. This text analyzes the skills of nurses at different levels in the unit. The author explains that Benner’s theory can help nurses to identify and develop their skills. The second case study looks at utilizing the theory in a community health setting. The author explains that the theory’s focus on holistic care, prevention, and health promotion is important in the community health context. This study helps to understand which level patient is under and what different levels could do for patients. The third case study is useful to study the skills and knowledge required by the nurse at various levels practicing in a surgical environment. Students commented that this case study helped them to understand the various levels of nursing practice and the skills and knowledge for practicing nursing in the area of specialty. Overall, the three case studies show that Benner’s theory is widely applicable in improving nursing practices. They also provide strong evidence supporting the validity of the five stages as they apply to nursing practices nowadays. The case studies help to understand how the theory can be applied in practice in different ways, as part of the learning process for students or for professional development. The details explained in the case studies easily capture the readers’ attention and understand the main ideas of the theory as well as the applications. It is a good approach to present the case studies with different practical examples so that the strengths of the theory can be better supported, and limitations of the theory can be realized. With the support from the case studies, this will in turn help to provide a broader and more comprehensive picture of the theory and its applications.
4.1 Case Study 1: Application of the Theory in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Our pediatric intensive care unit and children’s hospital is the only place in the region of its kind and serves a large area in the vicinity. We get a high turnover of emergency cases and some of the most complex children’s cases in the area. Over the years, colleagues have predicted that my knowledge and experience would lead me towards a nurse consultant role. Personally, I had not thought about this until I started applying the Novice to Expert Theory and realized that my own experiences and the value of experiential learning had led me to this challenging role in the healthcare team. On a typical day in the paediatric intensive care unit, the beds are full and there is a waiting list. However, with a situation that is all too common in nursing, the more experienced nurses are being offered posts elsewhere and moving on. This means that there are vacancies on all three shift patterns – something the current staff is not familiar with. I decided to look at the skill mix of the current skill set of our nursing team, in order to understand both mine and my colleagues’ placement in the five stages of the Novice to Expert Theory. I carried out a skills audit and questionnaires for the nurses to complete to provide evidence that would support my findings and suggested changes. The results for the current skill mix showed that we had an estimated: 20% advanced beginner, 60% competent, 15% proficient and 5% expert – including me. I felt that this was against our nature to learn and develop in our field and instead just taking it as it comes because the ‘experts’ know best. My findings initially suggested that skill acquisition in the workplace and experiential learning is fundamental. As found in the Novice to Expert Theory from Patricia Benner, it takes time and as you move up the groups, the more holistic your nursing care is. Additionally, by looking at the skills audit and my suggestions for the way forward, the information and its direct impact can be seen on my blog. As a proactive and insightful reflection, I suggested that we needed to balance out the team. These changes would allow new nurses, or those new to intensive care, to benefit from staff that have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share – thus aiding their training and cognitive decision making. This in turn would mean that the nurses at the proficient stage would be less reliant on the ‘experts’ they feel they need to follow and could begin to open up to more creative thinking in the workplace. The initiative I have taken has been recognized and my proposal for the reallocation and use of nursing staff has now been put into place. Myself and the practice development team are organizing a rolling program of clinical days and time for all nursing staff, at all levels, to come together and share their experiences and knowledge. This will enable the opportunity for the more expert members of the team to discuss clinical practice, knowledge and importance of team communication – something highlighted in my findings of the skills audit and through the use of Benner’s theory. I hope to use these constructive discussions and experiences shared to continue developing my understanding and approaches to educating and leading staff.
4.2 Case Study 2: Utilizing the Theory in a Community Health Setting
After an article of Benner’s Novice to Expert theory in the nursing profession that focuses on guiding new nurses, applying the knowledge of experienced nurses in day to day activities, and also assists in developing more efficient patient care plans, in accordance with that theory, nurses must work in that setting for a long time and ability to incorporate knowledge and experience in work. In a community health setting, a nurse in charge must be able to foresee the resources that will be needed for a given segment of the population throughout the life of that population, based on the current and projected health status of that population. It is well known that not every person in the population is going to need help for every ailment at the same time. Thus, the role and goal of community health nurses focusing on the care of population are to find and identify which section of the population is in need of what type of help and how to manage such resources by conserving them. Mrs. M is a nurse in charge in a private health care clinic in a wealthy local community. One of her job descriptions is to identify the health status of the local community and suggest solutions for any problems identified. She is expected to plan and apply continuous health care services which could help the local community members maintain and promote healthy lifestyles. Based on the case requirements, which the ability to foresee the resources that will be needed for a given segment of the population throughout the life of that population, Mrs. M has to apply Benner’s Novice to Expert theory in her work. “I have to utilize the knowledge and experience which continuously gained from day to day work in the community health setting and incorporate them into the long-term health care and also develop more efficient patient care plans,” as Mrs. M explained the benefits of Benner’s Novice to Expert theory in a community health setting! By applying Benner’s Novice to Expert theory, Mrs. M has to understand that each population is going to need help for every ailment at the same time. She has to make sure the resources are being used adequately by identifying which section of the population is in need of what type of help. Every medical decision must be tailored to every individual and to his or her specific needs, values, and personal preferences. Adults and children have different physical and psychological needs. So, the ability to plan and provide continuous health care services to each individual person could be different and it requires critical and creative thinking. However, Mrs. M has to bear in mind that not only the acute care services are the only resources that the people in the community needed. She has to plan for a better tomorrow, maybe for a maternal and child health care clinic set up. She has to maintain and promote healthy lifestyles among the local community members. “My goal is to develop different stages of patient care which could help the members in the local community throughout the life of that population so that we are able to conserve resources and show some good to better rationing.”
4.3 Case Study 3: Applying the Theory in a Surgical Environment
The third case study explores the application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory in a surgical environment. The writer begins by explaining the research question of the case study: whether surgical preceptorship presents an opportunity for expert skill development. It seems that the writer intended to explain, under the light of Novice to Expert Theory, why a long-term preceptorship in the surgical department produces better quality of nursing staff in comparison with other existing preceptorship options for newly qualified nurses. The case study involved six participants, including preceptors, newly qualified nurses, and long-term preceptees. The time spent in the surgical department by the participant group varied from 1 month to 6 months. The researchers collected both qualitative and quantitative data by using questionnaires, interviews, and actual on-site observations. The case study revealed both career and skill developments in the newly qualified nurses and the long-term preceptees, which were aligning with the principles of Novice to Expert Theory. However, the writer highlighted evidence of increasing autonomy and decision-making capacity as the major indication of the development from an advanced beginner to a competent. The long-term preceptees showed the highest level of autonomy, but the consultant nurses were comfortably adopting the guidance and help-seeking role, which attributes to the stage of effective and efficient problem-solving and knowledge application as a proficient. By critically reviewing the case study and the argument of the writer throughout the essay, the reader can now easily find out that the strategies mentioned and suggested in the case study section have their logical reasons and effectiveness portrayed. The writer used concepts from the Novice to Expert Theory and provided case examples to show that the theory applies in a surgical environment. The writer then went on to explore how the theory impacted the development and practice of different nursing levels in the surgical department. Finally, the writer discussed the implications of the study results.

References
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Dale, L., Drews, D., Dimmitt, V., Hildebrandt, B., Hittle, M., & Tielsch-Goddard, A. (2013). Patricia Benner: Novice to Expert – A Concept Whose Time Has Come (Again). Nurse Educator, 38(3), 102-105.
Kim, J., Shin, W., & Lee, H. (2023). The Lived Experiences of Novice Nurses During Their First Year: A Qualitative Study Using Benner’s Novice to Expert Model. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(3-4), 882-892.
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Fennimore, B., & Wolf, V. A. (2011). Leadership and Nurse Retention in Today’s Healthcare Environment: The Power of Relationship-Based Care. Journal of Nursing Management, 19(3), 202-208.
Benner, P. (2010). Using the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition to Describe Nursing Expertise. Journal of Advanced Nursing Essay Help, 66(3), 647-653.
Chang, Y., Wu, R., & Huang, Y. (2022). The Application of Benner’s Novice to Expert Model in Developing Clinical Reasoning Skills in Nursing Students. International Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 12(3), 231-237.
Thompson, D. R., & Thompson, C. D. (2024, February 1). Examining the Continued Relevance of Benner’s Novice to Expert Model in Contemporary Nursing Practice: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Healthcare Administration, 17(1), 1-9. [Note: This reference uses a publication date format indicating it’s likely published very recently, potentially still in press]

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