In Benner's stages, which level is described as making goals and planning care?

• A. Novice
• B. Advanced Beginner
• C. Competent Practitioner
• D. Proficient Practitioner

Answer: (D)

Benner's stages show growth from rule-based performance to holistic, anticipatory practice. The level described as making goals and planning care is the proficient practitioner. At this stage, nurses view the patient as a whole, use experience to anticipate needs, and actively develop and adjust goals within a care plan, coordinating actions across the team to move toward those outcomes. It’s about shaping purposeful, long-range plans that fit the patient’s trajectory, not just following fixed tasks. This distinguishes proficient practitioners from earlier stages that rely more on rules or basic task performance, and from the expert level, which leans even more on intuition and nuanced synthesis.