A Novice's Echelon

Each step builds on the previous one as abstract principles are refined and expanded by experience and the learner gains clinical expertise. 

This theory changed the profession's understanding of what it means to be an expert, placing this designation not on the nurse with the most highly paid or most prestigious position, but on the nurse who provided "the most exquisite nursing care. 

It recognized that nursing was poorly served by the paradigm that called for all of nursing theory to be developed by researchers and scholars, but rather introduced the revolutionary notion that the practice itself could and should inform theory.

by: MJ Salonga, RN

S: “Patience with our patients is the key.” 

The different nursing theories can bestow different contributions in honing our practice. Owning a value system and a systematized set of actions from these theories enable us to function effectively and efficiently as nurses.

The nursing theory that has a strong impact to my practice is Patricia Benner's Novice to Expert theory. Usage of her theory in planning my career path is important since it can assess as well as evaluate the kind of nurse I am becoming to have a consolidated self-concept.

It ASSESSES me:

Her theory enabled me to identify which level of the ladder I am currently standing. It confronts me with the reality thus I will have a clearer view of the remaining things to pursue to climb up the ladder. 3 years ago, I was a complete novice equipped with my diploma but with no clinical experience. As of this point, I already gained 2-3 years of experience which can be considered under competent phase. As of this point I am expected to plan my actions base on my conscious, abstract and analytical thinking. By assessing myself, it will also be clearer for me which duties to perform and which ones to consult. Self-assessment is also a good tool to boost my self morale. Knowing that there is professional growth and that i'm capable of improvement then I will strive harder to achieve greater heights, which in this case to become an expert to my chosen nursing field.

It GUIDES me:

The ladder pattern of the theory serves as my guide on the kind of path I plan for my career . I can designate specific goals on specific phases and let those be my target. My next target level is to become a proficient nurse. A proficient nurse is expected to be more holistic and acquire a more improved decision-making skill. I want to be a nurse-anesthetist in Kuwait soon. I believe that that kind of specialization in nursing will give me more opportunities to decide independently. Nurse anesthetists act like Anesthesiologists, and they have more crucial decision making tasks than just a DR nurse which what I am now. Putting up goals like these are like a guide I yield from lesrning the theory. My expert level perhaps is to make my own academe for Nurse Anesthetists here in the Philippines.

It EVALUATES me:

Looking unto my current position will aware me of how hastened I have grown in this field. It can alarm me of my slow increment of rising. It can basically ompare my present from my past allowing me to see my fallbacks or insufficiencies. As for my personal experience, I guess I am climbing the ladder on a correct timing. I believe I am just on the right stage for my age and for my years of experience.

It is important therefore that we use and materialize these theories to our daily practice, or else they will just remain as concepts... nothing more.

Now I can say this girl is on the ladder climbing up – to the top. She can now work on her own, decide on her own and be reliable to her colleagues though sometimes as we all know nobody is perfect, she does commit some mistakes but this mistakes for her is nothing to be embarrassed of but something to be learned from. She still knows there are a lot of things out there to learned and that is why she is now taking up her MAN, and hoping that she finish it and through this she wishes to become more efficient, helpful to her colleagues in her work.