From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice, Commemorative Edition

Rating:
Summary: Classic model in use world-wide
Review: I'm surprised that there are not more reviews of this classic. From Novice to Expert is now THE model used to describe development in nursing and is the basis for probably 99% of all the clinical ladders in existence. Benner deserves our undying gratitude for finding a way to describe what it is that nurses really DO. Her following books based on this one are also excellent. In the late '80s and '90s she used her model to describe critical care nursing, and is now using her model to describe expert nursing practice in long term care. In graduate school, so many of the models I was required to learn had nothing to do with actual nursing practice--because they were created by PhD nurse educators who had not practiced for years or decades. For her work, Benner went to bedside nurses actually doing nursing, and built her model upon what she discovered there and from them. As a clinical nurse specialist, I use this model everyday when working with other nurses and with patients.

Rating:
Summary: Classic model in use world-wide
Review: I'm surprised that there are not more reviews of this classic. From Novice to Expert is now THE model used to describe development in nursing and is the basis for probably 99% of all the clinical ladders in existence. Benner deserves our undying gratitude for finding a way to describe what it is that nurses really DO. Her following books based on this one are also excellent. In the late '80s and '90s she used her model to describe critical care nursing, and is now using her model to describe expert nursing practice in long term care. In graduate school, so many of the models I was required to learn had nothing to do with actual nursing practice--because they were created by PhD nurse educators who had not practiced for years or decades. For her work, Benner went to bedside nurses actually doing nursing, and built her model upon what she discovered there and from them. As a clinical nurse specialist, I use this model everyday when working with other nurses and with patients.

Rating:
Summary: A classic work worth revisiting often.
Review: Published in 1984 and still in print! Many of us knew from first reading that this book was destined to be a classic. The work provides two valuable contributions. Actual patient care experiences reported by 1200 respected nurses were described and analyzed. What nurses actually do is presented in clear discussion using commonly understood language. The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisistion is then applied to this analysis of expert nursing practice. This view into the "mystery"of nursing contributes to understanding and appreciation of the unique role of this essential healthcare discipline. It is likely to be valuable to physicians, administrators and others whose work is interdependent with that of nurses as well as speaking directly to nurses. Understanding a skill acquisition process as it applies to the profession of nursing has direct relevancy both for basic educational preparation and for practice models and work assignments. Many applications, articles and books have and continue to grow from this original work. However, I still find repeated reasons to return to this primary source and the book continues to hold a special place on my desk top.

Rating:
Summary: A classic work worth revisiting often.
Review: Published in 1984 and still in print! Many of us knew from first reading that this book was destined to be a classic. The work provides two valuable contributions. Actual patient care experiences reported by 1200 respected nurses were described and analyzed. What nurses actually do is presented in clear discussion using commonly understood language. The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisistion is then applied to this analysis of expert nursing practice. This view into the "mystery"of nursing contributes to understanding and appreciation of the unique role of this essential healthcare discipline. It is likely to be valuable to physicians, administrators and others whose work is interdependent with that of nurses as well as speaking directly to nurses. Understanding a skill acquisition process as it applies to the profession of nursing has direct relevancy both for basic educational preparation and for practice models and work assignments. Many applications, articles and books have and continue to grow from this original work. However, I still find repeated reasons to return to this primary source and the book continues to hold a special place on my desk top.

Rating:
Summary: From Novice to Expert is Entertaining & Excellent
Review: This book is truely an interesting read. It is filled with wonderful exemplars of great nursing. I highly recommend it to nursing students or recent grads who wish to read more about how seasoned nurses handled a variety of patient situations.