A Systematic Review of Intuition—A Way of Knowing in Clinical Nursing?

The aim of this systematic review was to illuminate intuition in clinical nursing. Frequently described as a defining characteristic of professional expertise, intuition is gaining acceptance as a legitimate form of knowledge in clinical nursing. A total of 352 abstracts were read and eight quantitative studies included. A thematic analysis was performed to one main theme, two themes, and four sub-themes emerged. The main theme was: Sensing an unconscious and conscious state of mind, and the two themes were: A sudden emotional awareness and reflection, and arousal of conscious thought processes. The first theme included two sub-themes: Sensing spiritual connections with patients and experiencing physical sensations; worrying and reassuring feelings. The second theme comprised two sub-themes: Willingness to act on personal, interpersonal, and clinical experiences; the influence of maturity and social support in clinical decision-making. An implication for clinical nursing was the need to develop sensitivity as a key to understanding the patient’s illness. In conclusion, leadership and management could facilitate discussions about intuition as a legitimate method of processing information and making decisions about patient care.