Benner Essays

This paper explores the personal nursing philosophy I plan to convey in my personal career. This philosophy is going to be described in my own terms to explain what being a nurse means to me. I believe that there are a number of factors that are important to be successful in the nursing field. I believe that being a nurse it takes commitment to accountability, professionalism, and compassion for the ill. I will explain each one of these in my paper and what they mean to me.

After previously writing about Caper’s (1978) pattern of knowledge defined as personal knowledge I started to reflect back up on each day of what had previously occurred? What had led to the situation? And what could have I done differently to have bettered my relationship with patients? Searching for these answers during my daily practice has opened self-exploration into what nursing means to me. Within this paper I will discuss my philosophy of nursing, my personal definition of nursing, and what guided me towards becoming

Regrettably, the existence of nursing depends on the medical inadequacy of others. Unfortunately, nursing exists because people get hurt, cannot care for themselves, or need assistance with daily activities. Carol Taylor (2011), author of Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Nursing Care, writes, “Nursing care involves any number of activities, from carrying out complicated technical procedures to something as seemingly as holding a hand” (p. 5). Taylor explains it is the duty of a nurse not only to learn the pertinent skills but also to bond with and comfort others. Nurses have to do and become many things: They must be stern when necessary, compassionate when needed, open minded

Nursing is as much science as it is a study in the human condition. Combining caring and the notion of human flourishing allows the nurse sharpen her understanding of patients’ needs by observing and understanding herself (Husted & Husted, 2008). A nurse is able to better anticipate the needs of her patients by noting similarities and differences between the two of them. With caring in the nursing corner, even under less-than-ideal conditions, one can still create havens of hope, nourishment, and the possibility for flourishing (MacCulloh, 2011).

Human caring is what sets nursing apart from other professions. As Watson (1998) stated, “care and love are the most universal, the most tremendous and the most mysterious of cosmic forces: they comprise the primal universal psychic energy. Caring is the essence of nursing and the most central and unifying focus for nursing practice” (p. 32-33). It is important to establish a good nurse-patient relationship in order to create a healing environment that would meet patient’s needs on all levels including physical, mental/emotional and spiritual, promote recovery, maintain health, and create positive outcomes. Jean Watson emphasized the importance of human

Another thing that draws me towards the career is the flexibility. A nurse is able to obtain a job in almost any state as long as they get the correct license for the state. Also, they are able to work in many different settings. A nurse can work in an office setting where the hours are set and they work a normal eight to five job. They are also able to work in a hospital setting, the hours differ when working at a hospital and some are required to work weekends and holidays. The physical demands for both setting would be different. Hospital settings would require lots of walking from room to room as well as running in certain emergency settings. In either setting though a nurse is required to be on their feet for long periods of time. It is not a job to where you would be stuck behind a desk.

Caring is thought to coincide with good nursing practice. As guided by the concept analysis framework of Walker and Avant (1983), an attempt is made to gain better understanding of the constituent properties of caring. This includes the evaluation of various definitions of caring, key attributes, antecedents, consequences, and the perception of caring from the patients and nurses point of view. Then, drawing a conclusion of the significance of caring, thereof.

The art of human caring is one of the most essential parts of the nursing profession. Caring is not something that you learn to do, but something that is within you. In nursing, it is important to know what kind of nurse you want to be as well as the care you intend to provide to your patients. The patient is the center of nursing, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are receiving the best care that they can receive. One of the most important things is to be able to set aside personal beliefs and morals in order to provide patient centered care. The way that you approach and care for a patient is either going to make or break the effect of the care you will be implementing to the patient.

I admire the nurses and their ability to stay so collected in some of the utmost stressful situations in order to keep the patient calm and comfortable. I can envision myself in the nursing field because I feel that I work best under pressure in stressful situations when I know the responsibility is on me. Nurses must have a strong work

Nursing can be a demanding career, but the benefits far much outweigh the challenges. Most importantly, it’s the rewards it offers by allowing an opportunity to make a difference in another person’s life through the provision of care when they need it. Just as Patricia Benner theorized in her book “Novice to Expert,” nursing encompasses both educational knowledge and extensive clinical experience acquired throughout one’s career. This far, I continue to acquire knowledge and clinical knowhow which will promote proper and efficient care to patients. Since I began practicing one year ago in a long-term healthcare facility, I have interacted with patients, families, physicians and other members of the healthcare team to coordinate patient’s care which has enabled me to gain confidence in myself. While I cannot deny that it was difficult to transition from a student to a licensed nurse, I learnt to overcome these challenges and focus on my strengths. Practicing as an LPN has provided a platform to learn and gain experience even though the duties and responsibilities are limited by the scope of practice.

This assignment will investigate a needs orientated approach to care, critically discussing the nursing process. It aims to show an understanding of what a nursing model and the nursing process is, looking in detail at the relationship between this nursing process and the Roper, Logan and Tierney (RLT) model of nursing. This essay will explore how the nursing model and process is implemented in practice, considering how the RLT model assists nurses to adapt a problem-solving technique when developing care plans for individuals. Strengths and limitations of the RLT model and the nursing process, in relation to developing care plans, will be critiqued along with the effectiveness of

Kristen M. Swanson’s Caring Theory is the solution in bridging the gap between nursing practice and theory. It offers an explanation of the links between patient well-being and the caring process (Tonges & Ray, 2011). Swanson explained that nurses should be able to demonstrate that they care about their patients, and that caring about their wellbeing is as important as their patients’ current medical problem (Tonges & Ray, 2011).

It is evident that nursing theorists, scholars and health care professions have varying interpretations of what caring is or should be. In the middle of all these disparity, caring is a vital component of the nursing practice and the key to choosing the concept of caring is because it is very essential when it comes to health care. This paper tries to make clear the concept of caring in the field of nursing and it makes use of the Walker and Avant outline to support the concept. It starts with recognizing the concept and its functions. It then identifies three emerging attributes of caring will be identified and a description of each will be given. At last, the paper will recognize antecedents, the effects or consequences and

With self-reflection, I recognize levels and transitions that have occurred throughout during my career. Benner’s description of nursing levels is useful for nurses in the preceptor and mentor role. As a preceptor, I recognize nursing orientees advancements in the first two stages. During the initial orientation process, the orientee is introduced to the policies and procedures of the organization and looks for guidance. After the orientee gains patient experience, the orientee functions more independently but still seeks guidance. Benner’s philosophy of the seven domains are not specific to a nursing level but are utilized by all in their practice. The domains can be used in my everyday nursing practice in the clinical setting. While triaging a patient, the helping role is utilized. I am beginning to know the patient and their problems and concerns while also establishing a trusting relationship to facilitate comfort. The teaching-coaching domain is utilized when a new medication, procedure, or diagnosis is introduced. A decision is made to use the appropriate teaching tools and written education. The goal is to provide the best education to ensure comprehension. The diagnostic and patient monitoring function starts during the initial assessment and triage of the patient. Anticipation of patient needs vary from a simple prescription to a direct

In the helping role, I find myself to be in the proficient stage, although my nursing career is still fresh and new I have always found the need to help people. Before I began my career journey to become a registered nurse, I was a nurse’s aide for three years. I learned so much from the expert nurses at that time of what I aspired to be when I finally did achieve my goal and get my registered nurse degree and license. Just the ease of listening to a patient for those five extra seconds to let them voice their concerns, helps the patient feel very involved in their own care. Helping a patient is also helping the family that comes along with that said patient. I recall working one night in an emergency room when a little Amish family came in. The child they brought was not breathing so well and had a blue tint to him. The triage nurse rushed the child back to a room and asked the parents to wait in the waiting room until they got the boy stable. The look on the mothers face was that of agony. I asked her if she needed anything