Which statement best describes a proficient nurse? A proficient nurse is one who:
a. Has little experience with a specified population and uses rules to guide performance.
b. Has an intuitive grasp of a clinical situation and quickly identifies the accurate solution.
c. Sees actions in the context of daily plans for patients.
d. Understands a patient situation as a whole rather than a list of tasks and recognizes the long-term goals for the patient.
The proficient nurse, with more time and experience than the novice nurse, is able to understand a patient situation as a whole rather than as a list of tasks. The proficient nurse is able to see how todays nursing actions can apply to the point the nurse wants the patient to reach at a future time.
Understands a patient situation as a whole rather than a list of tasks and recognizes the long-term goals for the patient.