Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations. (American Nurses Association, 2014) |
For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of
being a nurse. As a child, I can
remember seeing nurses depicted on television and movies and I could not wait
to grow up and don the white uniform!
Over time, however, my idea of what a nurse is has changed. No longer do I see a nurse as a person who
sweeps in at the time of crisis to save the unfortunate and comfort the
suffering but rather an educated, skilled professional who has the ability to
make a difference in a person's life.
I have worked successfully as a registered nurse since 2006 in various positions while juggling the responsibilities of both school and motherhood. As a mother of three young girls, I have stressed the importance of education to my children while demonstrating the fact that one’s goals can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. While attending Thomas Edison State College for my BSN, I was able to achieve a grade point average of 3.932, of which I am very proud. As an Adult Nurse Practitioner student at Monmouth University, I have once again immersed myself in the daily responsibilities of the academic environment with the end goal of graduating a more knowledgeable and well-rounded person.
Nursing theorist Patricia Benner is responsible for proposing a theory known as “From Novice to Expert”. Benner believes that nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care from a combination of a strong educational foundation and personal experiences. She believes that nurses can acquire knowledge through research and clinical experience, and thus become experts in their field (Nursing Theory, 2011). By using Benner’s theory, the nurse can understand that the progression from novice to expert is a journey. Benner believes that each nurse must follow through a set of steps in order to advance from novice to expert, and she believes that all nurses come into the field as novices, no matter what their level of education. In her “From Novice to Expert” theory, Benner has introduced the concept that nursing intuition exists, and that this intuition is based on knowledge gained from clinical experience (Frisch, 2009). Benner believes that a nurse must go through five stages when starting a career or learning a new skill. These stages include novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. In my current field of diabetes education, I believe I have reached the stage of expert. I have reached this stage by working within the field of diabetes education for the past seven years while continuing to advance my knowledge and remain current through continuing education. As I complete my MSN degree and ultimately become an Advanced Practice Nurse, I am ready to start again at an advanced beginner level while learning the new skills I will need to perform as an advanced practitioner. Through the understanding of Benner’s stages of clinical competence, I have formulated a plan to work through the stages of novice-to-expert, thus ensuring safe and efficient care for all of my patients. The plan includes incorporating my current knowledge of diabetes treatment along with new knowledge I will acquire through my academic learning and clinical experiences. After graduation, I will seek a position as an Advanced Practice Nurse where I can continue to acquire new skills and advance my knowledge in the care of people with diabetes. I look forward to this new role with excitement and enthusiasm.
References
American Nurses Association. (2014). What is nursing? Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/especiallyforyou/what-is-nursing
Frisch, T.L. (2009). From novice to expert: Benner’s application of the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition. Retrieved from http://www.aestheticimpact.com/holistic-nursing/from-novice-to-expert-benners-application-of-the-dreyfus-model-of-skill-acquistion.html
Nursing Theory. (2011). Patricia Benner. Retrieved from http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Patricia-Benner.php
I have worked successfully as a registered nurse since 2006 in various positions while juggling the responsibilities of both school and motherhood. As a mother of three young girls, I have stressed the importance of education to my children while demonstrating the fact that one’s goals can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. While attending Thomas Edison State College for my BSN, I was able to achieve a grade point average of 3.932, of which I am very proud. As an Adult Nurse Practitioner student at Monmouth University, I have once again immersed myself in the daily responsibilities of the academic environment with the end goal of graduating a more knowledgeable and well-rounded person.
Nursing theorist Patricia Benner is responsible for proposing a theory known as “From Novice to Expert”. Benner believes that nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care from a combination of a strong educational foundation and personal experiences. She believes that nurses can acquire knowledge through research and clinical experience, and thus become experts in their field (Nursing Theory, 2011). By using Benner’s theory, the nurse can understand that the progression from novice to expert is a journey. Benner believes that each nurse must follow through a set of steps in order to advance from novice to expert, and she believes that all nurses come into the field as novices, no matter what their level of education. In her “From Novice to Expert” theory, Benner has introduced the concept that nursing intuition exists, and that this intuition is based on knowledge gained from clinical experience (Frisch, 2009). Benner believes that a nurse must go through five stages when starting a career or learning a new skill. These stages include novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. In my current field of diabetes education, I believe I have reached the stage of expert. I have reached this stage by working within the field of diabetes education for the past seven years while continuing to advance my knowledge and remain current through continuing education. As I complete my MSN degree and ultimately become an Advanced Practice Nurse, I am ready to start again at an advanced beginner level while learning the new skills I will need to perform as an advanced practitioner. Through the understanding of Benner’s stages of clinical competence, I have formulated a plan to work through the stages of novice-to-expert, thus ensuring safe and efficient care for all of my patients. The plan includes incorporating my current knowledge of diabetes treatment along with new knowledge I will acquire through my academic learning and clinical experiences. After graduation, I will seek a position as an Advanced Practice Nurse where I can continue to acquire new skills and advance my knowledge in the care of people with diabetes. I look forward to this new role with excitement and enthusiasm.
References
American Nurses Association. (2014). What is nursing? Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/especiallyforyou/what-is-nursing
Frisch, T.L. (2009). From novice to expert: Benner’s application of the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition. Retrieved from http://www.aestheticimpact.com/holistic-nursing/from-novice-to-expert-benners-application-of-the-dreyfus-model-of-skill-acquistion.html
Nursing Theory. (2011). Patricia Benner. Retrieved from http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Patricia-Benner.php