Benner's model and Duchscher's theory: Providing the framework for understanding new graduate nurses' transition to practice

Abstract

The transition to quality and safety in the new graduate registered nurses' practice remains problematic directly impacting patient outcomes. Effective mentoring during transition serves to enhance experiential learning, allowing the development and establishment of safe, quality nursing practice. Comprehensive understanding of the transition process, including the barriers and effective enablers to transition is the key to effective mentoring. A theoretical framework guided by Duchscher's Stages of Transition Theory and Transition Shock Model and Benner's From novice to expert model can facilitate such understanding. Nurse Theorists play an important part in shaping nurse education and practice and have provided nurse educators and leaders an understanding to shape skill acquisition and the transition process for new graduate registered nurses. The res ultantresearchmodels and theory of these influencial nurses are pertinent to transition of new graduate registered nurses. This paper outlines the theories of Duchscher and Benner and how their research formed the theoretical framework to facilitate the measurement, understanding and improvement of the safety and quality of nursing care and impact the future nursing workforce.

Keywords: Clinical support; New graduate nurse; Nursing theory; Safety; Theoretical framework; Transition.