A nurse is working in the intensive care unit. When assessing the clients, the nurse notes one of them, who was scheduled to transfer to a step-down unit as soon as a bed becomes available, has a respiratory rate change from 18 to 20 breaths/min and an oxygen saturation (O₂ sat) of 92%, when earlier it was 93%. The client denies complaints. The nurse calls the physician and requests a chest x-ray and arterial blood gases (ABGs). This nurse is working at which Benner Level of Competency in Nurses? A) Advanced beginner B) Competent C) Expert D) Proficient

Question

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The expert nurse is able to grasp the important components of a situation intuitively, noticing subtle changes, and zeroing in on the problem immediately. This nurse is also flexible. The advanced beginner is not flexible, is slow to act, and still needs rules to guide practice. The competent nurse is beginning to be able to master many situations in nursing but is still somewhat slow. The proficient nurse is perceptive and sees subtle changes rapidly, but would not be able to zero in on the problem as rapidly as the expert nurse.

A Nurse Is Working in the Intensive Care Unit