Which statement best describes the Proficient stage?

• A. Nurses who can practice independently and begin to formulate principles based on prior experiences.
• B. Nurses who understand situations as a whole and can modify plans based on experience.
• C. Nurses who see actions in terms of long-range goals and feel mastery.
• D. Nurses with extensive experience who have an intuitive grasp and perform fluidly.

Answer: (B)

In this part of Benner’s model of clinical competence, a Proficient nurse works with a holistic sense of the patient situation. They don’t just follow rules or focus on isolated tasks; they recognize patterns from experience and anticipate what will help most. This enables them to adjust plans as new information emerges, using what they’ve learned from similar cases to guide decision-making.

That combination—seeing the whole situation and modifying plans based on experience—best describes the Proficient stage. The other descriptions align more with different stages: planning with long-term goals and a sense of mastery fits the Competent stage, while an intuitive, fluid performance with extensive experience points to the Expert stage.