The Nursing Theory And Theorist - 1199 Words

D. Nursing Theory and Theorist â€Å"From Novice to Expert†, the nursing theory by Patricia Benner, is probably the easiest theory of all to understand. One of Benner’s messages is that a well-rounded professional does not miss out on opportunities to learn from life as well as in nursing school and in the nursing practice. In her theory Benner describes the 5 stages of nursing experience beginning with novice and moving up to the final stage of expert. She describes how every stage builds on and is dependent on the previous stage(s), and how one can learn from all of his or her experiences and builds on those experiences (Benner, 1982). According to Benner, a nurse could gain knowledge and skills without actually learning a theory.†¦show more content†¦These are all good examples of the multiple hats we as nurses must wear throughout caring for our patients. They are not complicated to follow, and yet they make the patient feel like a real person rather than just another patient in a bed, whereas their absence can hurt and demean them. As a novice nurse, I am particularly concerned about the physical aspects of different patient situations. For instance, I rely on patients objective data such as temperature and pulse to make nursing care decisions. I am still a hundred miles away from having that advanced nursing intuition that expert nurses have. Every day I enhance my professional competencies in order to move up the novice-to-expert ladder and become an expert professional. As I practice nursing on an almost daily basis, I utilize the different roles and adapt to the needs of my patients based on their needs. Every patient you come across has a different perspective on the care they are to receive, or have already received. These beliefs are informed by one’s individual experiences, education, cultural norms, and even his or her personality. Not only am I as a nurse adapting to the patients’ most prominent needs - I am also adapting to the patien t’s family with their needs as well. Caring goes beyond just the