PATRICIA BENNER

FROM NOVICE TO EXPERT: EXCELLENCE AND POWER IN CLINICAL

NURSING PRACTICE
◦ Born in Hampton Virginia
◦ 1970- earned master’s degree in nursing major in medical-
surgical nursing
◦ 1982- PhD in stress, coping and health –University of
California
◦ Benner has published extensively and has been the recipient
of numerous honors and awards in 1984, 1989,1996,1999
◦ Benner studies clinical nursing practice in an attempt to
discover and describe the knowledge embedded in nursing
practice that is, knowledge accrues over time in a practice
discipline and is developed through dialogue relationship
and in situational context.
◦ Patricia Benner developed a concept known as “From Novice to Expert.” This
concept explains that nurses develop skills and an understanding of patient care over
time from a combination of a strong educational foundation and personal
experiences.

◦ Dr Benner proposed that a nurse could gain knowledge and skills without actually
learning a theory. She describes this as a nurse “knowing how” without “knowing
that.” She further explains that the development of knowledge in fields such as
nursing is made up of the extension of knowledge through research and
understanding through clinical experience
 “Benner’s stages of nursing expertise”
1. Novice- No experience. Performance is limited, inflexible and govern by context-clues rules
and regulations rather than experience.
2. Advance Beginner- Demonstrates marginally acceptable performance. Recognize meaningful
aspects of a real situation. Has experienced enough real situations to make judgment about
them.
3. Competent- Demonstrates organizational and planning abilities. Differentiates important
factors from less important aspects of care. Coordinates multiple complex demand.
4. Proficient- Perceives situation as whole rather than in terms of parts, as in stage II. Uses
maxims as guides for what to consider in a situation. Has holistic understanding of the client
which improves decision making. Focuses in long term goal.
5. Expert- Performance is fluid, flexible and highly proficient; no longer requires rules, guidelines
or maxims to connect an understanding of the situation to appropriate action.
◦ HOW MANY OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
These different levels of skills show changes in the three
aspects of skilled performance:

◦ movement from relying on abstract principles to using

past experiences to guide actions;
◦ change in the learner’s perception of situations as whole
parts rather than separate pieces;
◦ passage from a detached observer to an involved
performer, engaged in the situation rather than simply
outside of it.