Final answer:
Patricia Benner outlined five levels of proficiency that a nurse progresses through: Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, and Expert.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Patricia Benner's model, a nurse goes through five levels of proficiency as they gain experience and expertise in their field. These levels help in understanding the development of nursing professionals over time. The five levels are:
- Novice: Beginning nursing students who have no experience with the situations in which they are expected to perform.
- Advanced Beginner: Nurses who have gained some level of experience through education and practice.
- Competent: Nurses who have been in practice for two to three years and can manage care with confidence although they may lack speed and flexibility.
- Proficient: Nurses with more background experience who can understand situations as a whole rather than in terms of chopped up parts or aspects.
- Expert: Nurses with an enormous background of experience who have an intuitive grasp of clinical situations and can zero in on the accurate solution swiftly.