Benner and the critics: promoting scholarly dialogue

The research and theorizing of Patricia Benner and colleagues have been very influential in nursing around the world. In recent years, however, her work has been challenged on both methodological and philosophical grounds, primarily from critical-hermeneutic and postmodernist perspectives. Critics have identified concerns about Benner's work, including sample limitations, decontextualized exemplars, the exclusion of social and political concerns, the problematic issues of experience and interpretation, and the unacknowledged position of the researcher. This article attempts to synthesize those critiques, and offers a comprehensive framework for constructive dialogue. Disciplinary maturity and scholarly integrity require critical reevaluation of influential texts and research programs.