Nursing philosophy: From Novice to Exper to Mentor

From novice to expert to mentor: how Patricia Benner’s theory would be important in my future practice as an advanced practice nurse.

When I first learned and heard about Patricia Benner’s theory from one of the classmates in this course, I felt deeply that this is the theory that I would like to research more and apply in my future practice as an advanced practice nurse or a in-hospital nurse. In one of the articles that I found there is a quote saying “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” From just reading this quote, it has inspired me enough wanting to learn how to use Patricia Benner’s theory guidelines and become a good mentor in my future practice. My foreign status bothered me ever since I came to the States either being a student or a nurse. I came here a long way to become a RN. It was not a light journey at all. From taking Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing School (CGFNS) qualify test, English language proficiency test to the never ending waiting process, I am glad that it has turned out to a happy ending. Now I can finally tell family and friends that I am doing well. I realized that it is very important to have a mentor to guide you through the dark road. As a foreign nurse, I do have quite a lot of things to learn such as culture differences, languages (slangs), believes and systematic differences etc. Nursing is a caring “business”. Our customers are most of the time sick people; our products are performances and nursing skills . We deal with flesh human beings not machines. Being a competent nurse is very important either in the professional aspect or improving people’s health. Therefore, this is why I choose Patricia Benner’s model of from novice to expert to mentor to be my topic because it would help me and other prospect nurses to become competent in a more efficiency way.

This is the first paragraph of my paper for a class that I am taking now and I got 100%. Well, because this is only a one-credit class so the instructor gives high grade to everybody. What surprised me was when I got an email from my teacher, I was touched. The email is full of encouragements and understandings even it was a short email. I was inspired. I never dislike nursing but also never really devoted myself enough in nursing. After all this years' on and off working and studying to become a "good" nurse has helped me grown a lot, especially during the most important two stages in my life. The first one, I would call it "broken family" period when I was 12 to 18 years old. After dad decided to close his company, mom went to the US working in the restaurant with aunt and uncle. Dad went too the later year. Three of us were left living in an apartment one floor above my grandparents. The other period, I would call it "life direction" period which is happening here in the state under a situation to become an "American". Now I think back and found that nursing really has "saved my life" in time from both traumatized-life stages. Who says life is like riding a rollercoaster going up and down?! It is so true. But I think I have reached the age too dangerous to ride one. I might have a heart attack!!