Intuition: A Concept Analysis

PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to conceptually examine intuition; identify the importance of intuition in nursing education, clinical practice, and patient care; encourage acceptance of the use of intuition; and add to the body of nursing knowledge. BACKGROUND Nurses often report using intuition when making clinical decisions. Intuition is a rapid, unconscious process based in global knowledge that views the patient holistically while synthesizing information to improve patient outcomes. However, with the advent of evidence‐based practice (EBP), the use of intuition has become undervalued in nursing. REVIEW METHODS Walker and Avant's framework was used to analyze intuition. A literature search from 1987 to 2014 was conducted using the following keywords: intuition, intuition and nursing, clinical decision making, clinical decision making and intuition, patient outcomes, EBP, and analytical thinking. RESULTS The use of intuition is reported by nurses, but is not legitimized within the nursing profession. Defining attributes of intuition are an unconscious, holistic knowledge gathered without using an analytical process and knowledge derived through synthesis, not analysis. Consequences include verification of intuition through an analytical process and translating that knowledge into a course of action. CONCLUSION This article supports the use of intuition in nursing by offering clarity to the concept, adds to the nursing knowledge base, encourages a holistic view of the patient during clinical decision making, and encourages nurse educators to promote the use of intuition.