Benners Theory

Prepared by: Romeo Victor M. Valderrama

BSN- 4

Who is Patricia Benner, RN, Ph.D,

FAAN, FRCN?
Born on August 1942 in Hampton, Virginia
American
Alma mater: Pasadena City College
Known for: From Novice to Expert

Excellence and Power in

Clinical
Nursing Practice
Notable awards : Living Legend of the
American Academy of Nursing (2011)

Benner: As Author
Dr: Benner is the author of books including:
From novice to expert
The primary of caring
Interpretative Phenomenology : Embodiment ,

Caring and Ethics in Health and Illness

The crisis of care
Expertise in Nursing Practice : Caring, Clinical
Judgement, and Ethics
Caregiving

Clinical Wisdom and Interventions in Critical

Care : A Thinking-In-Action- Approach.

Patricia Benner
Is an internationally noted researcher and

lecturer on health, stress and coping , skill

acquisition and ethics.
Recently elected an honorary fellow of the

Royal College of Nursing.

Staff nurse in the areas of medical-surgical,

emergency room, coronary care, intensive

care units and home care

Currently, her research includes the study

of nursing practice in intensive care units

and nursing ethics.

Benners Stages of Clinical

Competence
Novice
Advanced beginner
Competent
Proficient
Expert

Novice
The person has no background or experience of the

situation in which he or she is involved.

There is difficult discerning between relevant and

irrelevant aspect of the situation.

Beginner to profession or nurse changing area of

practice.
Generally this level applies to nursing students.

Examples are:
Nursing students
Newly nursing graduates.
Nurses who return to workplace after a long

absence .

Advance Beginner
When a person can demonstrate marginally

accepted performance having coped with

enough real situations to note.
Nurses functioning at this level are guided by

rules and oriented by task completion.

Still requires mentor or experienced nurse to

assist with defining situations, to set

priorities , and to integrate practical
knowledge.

Competent
After two to three years in the same area of
nursing, the nurse moves in to this stage.