Expertise in Nursing Practice

From The Critics

Reviewer: Karen Aroian, PhD, RN, CS(Boston College School of Nursing)
Description: This book is based on a study of the nature of clinical knowledge, clinical inquiry, clinical judgment, and expert ethical comportment. It extends the research presented in the 1984 book From Novice to Expert by describing new aspects of various stages of skill acquisition and linking clinical and ethical decision making.
Purpose: The purpose is to delineate the practical knowledge and skill acquisition embedded in expert practice and the impediments and resources for developing expertise in nursing practice.
Audience: The book has implications for basic nursing education as well as nursing administration and practice. It is also relevant for other practice disciplines (e.g., medicine, social work, and others). Because the authors provide detailed, clear description of the study design and methods, the book can also be of use to researchers who wish to study skill acquisition, various aspects of clinical knowledge and practice, or employ hermeneutical phenomenology.
Features: Narratives of nurses in various stages of skill acquisition offer rich examples of the knowledge situated in clinical practice. The authors' interpretative frames for these narratives guide the reader without interfering with their evocative power. References are not only current but comprehensive and provide a historical perspective on clinical knowledge and skill acquisition.
Assessment: This book is essential for nurse educators and should be read by everyone who aims to facilitate nurses' professional development. Practicing nurses should also read the book because it validates the trajectory for expert practice and uncovers the core of what constitutes excellence in nursing care.

Karen Aroian

This book is based on a study of the nature of clinical knowledge, clinical inquiry, clinical judgment, and expert ethical comportment. It extends the research presented in the 1984 book From Novice to Expert by describing new aspects of various stages of skill acquisition and linking clinical and ethical decision making. The purpose is to delineate the practical knowledge and skill acquisition embedded in expert practice and the impediments and resources for developing expertise in nursing practice. The book has implications for basic nursing education as well as nursing administration and practice. It is also relevant for other practice disciplines (e.g., medicine, social work, and others). Because the authors provide detailed, clear description of the study design and methods, the book can also be of use to researchers who wish to study skill acquisition, various aspects of clinical knowledge and practice, or employ hermeneutical phenomenology. Narratives of nurses in various stages of skill acquisition offer rich examples of the knowledge situated in clinical practice. The authors' interpretative frames for these narratives guide the reader without interfering with their evocative power. References are not only current but comprehensive and provide a historical perspective on clinical knowledge and skill acquisition. This book is essential for nurse educators and should be read by everyone who aims to facilitate nurses' professional development. Practicing nurses should also read the book because it validates the trajectory for expert practice and uncovers the core of what constitutes excellence in nursing care.

4 Stars! from Doody