Patricia Benner Nursing Theory

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Patricia Benner was born in 1942 in Hampton, Virginia. However, she received her education in California. Patricia Benner has had a tremendous impact in nursing with her numerous contributions. She is a very successful and accomplished nurse. She has earned several degrees, served as a member on numerous committees, published several works, has been involved in several writings and research projects and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards.
She attended Pasadena College where she majored in nursing and received a Baccalaureate of Arts degree in 1964. She continued with her education and received a master’s degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing (UCSF) in 1970 and a doctor of philosophy …show more content…

This means that it seeks to offer an interpretation of the contextual meaning of phenomena in the world of clinical nursing. She wrote that, in a practice discipline such as nursing, the development of knowledge “consists of extending practical knowledge through theory-based scientific investigations and through the charting of existent 'know-how ' developed though clinical experience in the practice of that discipline” (Alligood, 2014). This is also in line with the hermeneutic approach, which is the analysis of meaningful phenomena in a manner meant to recognize their practical value without influence from prior theoretical assumptions (Alligood, …show more content…

These views imply that real life experiences test theoretical foundation, allowing for an individual to gain what is referred to as practical knowledge. This knowledge consists of a combination between theory and practice, allowing for a more holistic approach to patient care. Benner credits her differentiation of “knowing how” and “knowing that” to the ideals of philosophers Kuhn and Polyani. The premise of “knowing how” is related to nursing practice, whereas the basis for “knowing that” is associated with nursing theory. Due to the complex circumstances surrounding different clinical situations, theory alone would be inadequate for providing proficient patient care. Because of this, the importance of examining nurse practice is invaluable to further the development of nursing theory (Alligood,

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