Intuition vs insight:

There are situations in which decision-makers arrive at an idea or a decision not by analytically
inferring the solution but by either sensing the correct solution without being able to give reasons for it
or by realizing the solution all of a sudden without being able to report on the solution process. Roughly,
the former phenomenon has been called intuition, the latter insight.
Despite disagreement about any definition, common ground is that intuition is an experienced-based
process resulting in a spontaneous tendency toward a hunch or a hypothesis (Bowers et al., 1990; Volz
and Zander, 2014). KENNETH S. BOWERS University of Waterloo
Initiation of action. The non-conscious, experience-based, and unintentional process finally produces a
strong tendency toward a hunch, which is a go-signal that is strong enough to initiate action. As a result,
people act according to intuitive impressions or feelings (e.g., Gigerenzer, 2008 Gut Feelings: The
Intelligence of the Unconscious book).
The term insight has been used to refer to the sudden and unexpected understanding of a previously
incomprehensible problem or concept. Jung-Beeman et al. (2004, p.506)
Ten men and eight women were paid to participate in Experiment 1;
19 new subjects (nine men, ten women) were paid to participate in Experiment 2.
All were young (18–29) neurologically intact, right-handed, native English speakers.
Intuition and Clinical Decision Making:
From the nursing perspective, it has been shaped by Benner’s intuitive-humanistic model. According
to Benner, intuitive decision-making is a characteristic of the expert clinical nurse. At the expert level,
the nurse does not use analytical thought but applies intuition to an uncertain clinical situation to
implement appropriate patient interventions. In contrast, the novice nurse uses procedures and guidelines
to make clinical decisions, suggesting intuitive decision-making would be different between the novice
and expert nurse.
Benner P. From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice.
International Universities Press; 1984.

Clinical Intuition in the Nursing Process and Decision-making— A mixed-studies

Review by: Christina Melin-Johansson, Sweden University

Aims and objectives: To review what is characteristic of registered nurses’ intuition

in clinical settings, in relationships, and in the nursing process.
Background: Intuition is a controversial concept, and nurses believe that there are difficulties
in how they should explain their nursing actions or decisions based on intuition.
Much of the evidence from the body of research indicates that nurses value their intuition
in a variety of clinical settings. More information on how nurses integrate intuition
as a core element in daily clinical work would contribute to an improved understanding
of how they go about this. Intuition deserves a place in evidence-based activities,
where intuition is an important component associated with the nursing process.
Design: An integrative review strengthened with a mixed-studies review.
Methods: Literature searches were conducted in the databases CINAHL, PubMed
and PsycINFO, and literature published 1985–2016 were included. The findings in
the studies were analysed with content analysis, and the synthesis process entailed
a reasoning between the authors.
Results: After a quality assessment, 16 studies were included. The analysis and synthesis
resulted in three categories. The characteristics of intuition in the nurse’s
daily clinical activities include application, assertiveness, and experiences; in the relationships
with patients’ intuition, including unique connections, mental and bodily responses, and personal
qualities; and in the nursing process, including support and
guidance, components, and clues in decision-making and validating decisions.
Conclusion: Intuition is more than simply a “gut feeling” and it is a process-based
on knowledge and care experience and has a place beside research-based evidence.
Nurses integrate both analysis and synthesis of intuition alongside objective data
when making decisions. They should rely on their intuition and use this knowledge
in clinical practice as a support in decision-making, which increases the quality and
safety of patient care.
Relevance to clinical practice: We find that intuition plays a key role in more or less
all of the steps in the nursing process as a base for decision-making that supports
safe patient care, and is a validated component of nursing clinical care expertise.

State of Science, “Intuition in Nursing Practice”: A Systematic Review Study

By: Rostam Jalali

Introduction: There were many attempts for introducing “intuition” to nursing practice, But despite the
efficacy, it has been ignored as a valid way of knowing. Therefore the current study was conducted for
evaluating the state of sciences to intuition in nursing practice.
Materials and Methods: In a systematic review study, all researches, published from 1995 to 2014,
were searched in the databases of “PubMed”, using “intuition” and “nursing” keywords.
Results: From searching the databases, 144 articles with “intuition and nursing” were found, 53 as
original research, and 15 with inclusion criteria were selected. Most of the studies had qualitative
approaches design as phenomenology (N=4), content analyses (N=2) and grounded theory (N=1), six
was done for developing the instrument, and two studies have been conducted as descriptive method.
Conclusion: The ultimate goal of the nursing researchers was to incorporate intuition in the educational
curriculum, for this purpose the qualitative studies tried to reduce the abstract layers of the concept. The
results revealed the researches about intuition in nursing mostly were conducted with qualitative and
instrument developing methodology and there is a lack of quantitative and trial studies.

Use of intuition by critical care nurses: a phenomenological study

Nader Salari
Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran
Background: Intuition is defined as an irrational unconscious type of knowing. This concept was
incorporated into nursing discipline for 3 decades, but nowadays its application is uncertain and ignored
by educational institutions. Therefore, this study aimed to explore critical care nurses’ understanding of
the use of intuition in clinical practice.
Materials and methods: In a descriptive phenomenological study, 12 nurses employed in critical care
units of the hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, were recruited to a
study using purposive, semistructured interviews, which were then written down verbatim. The data
were managed by MaxQDA 10 software and analyzed as qualitative, with Colaizzi’s seven-stage
approach.
Conclusion:
In this study, nurses felt intuitions about particular patients who had some personal and clinical
characteristics. While the intuitions had many positive results for patients as well as nurses, the nurses
were very comfortable using intuition, which they considered a lifesaver for patients. Following their
intuition experiences, nurses paid more attention to the intended clients, and provided extra assessments
and care of patients.
Limitation:
As qualitative research, these results could not be generalized to other locations. Therefore, qualitative
studies in various clinical settings are recommended.

Decision-Making in Nursing Practice: An Integrative Literature Review

Christine W. Nibbelink,
Aims and Objectives—Identify and summarize factors and processes related to registered nurses’
patient care decision-making in medical-surgical environments. A secondary goal of this literature
review was to determine whether medical-surgical decision-making literature included factors that
appeared to be similar to concepts and factors in Naturalistic Decision Making.
Design—Pubmed and CINAHL databases were searched and research meeting criteria was included.
Data were identified from all included articles and themes were developed based on these data.
Results—Key findings in this review include nursing experience and associated factors; organization
and unit culture influences on decision-making; education; understanding patient status; situation
awareness, and autonomy.
Conclusions—Acute care nurses employ a variety of decision-making factors and processes. informally
identify experienced nurses to be important resources for decision-making. Incorporation of evidence
into acute care nursing practice continues to be a struggle for acute care nurses. This review indicates
that Naturalistic Decision Making may be applicable to decision-making nursing research.

1. Intuition and its role in the nursing process and nursing practice
Intuition plays a significant role in nursing practice, often serving as a valuable adjunct to evidence-based practice
and clinical reasoning. It involves the ability to perceive and comprehend situations rapidly, drawing upon tacit
knowledge, past experiences, and holistic understanding to guide decision-making. Here's a detailed discussion on
intuition and its role in the nursing process:

Intuitive Decision Making: Intuition allows nurses to make quick and effective decisions, particularly in
situations where immediate action is required. This can be critical in emergency settings or when dealing with
complex patient conditions. Nurses often rely on intuitive cues to prioritize care, anticipate patient needs, and
identify subtle changes in a patient's condition that may not be immediately evident through objective
assessments.

Holistic Patient Assessment: Intuition enables nurses to perform holistic patient assessments by integrating
various cues and information beyond just physical symptoms. This holistic approach considers the patient's
emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of their health
status and needs. Intuitive insights may prompt nurses to explore underlying psychosocial factors affecting a
patient's well-being or to detect non-verbal cues indicating distress or discomfort.

Enhanced Communication and Relationship Building: Intuition facilitates effective communication and
relationship-building between nurses and patients. By tuning into subtle cues and non-verbal expressions, nurses
can establish rapport, convey empathy, and foster trust with patients. This interpersonal connection is crucial for
promoting patient-centered care and facilitating collaborative decision-making.

Anticipation of Complications: Intuition enables nurses to anticipate potential complications or adverse events,
allowing for proactive intervention and prevention. Through intuitive reasoning, nurses may detect early warning
signs of deterioration in a patient's condition, prompting timely interventions to prevent further harm or
complications.

Promotion of Patient Advocacy: Intuition empowers nurses to advocate for their patients' best interests, even in
situations where objective data may be limited or conflicting. Nurses may draw upon intuitive insights to
challenge conventional practices, question treatment plans, or advocate for additional resources to meet the unique
needs of their patients.

Support for Clinical Judgment: While evidence-based practice provides a foundation for nursing care, intuition
complements clinical judgment by filling gaps in knowledge and guiding decision-making in situations where
empirical evidence is lacking or inconclusive. Intuition allows nurses to navigate ambiguity and uncertainty,
providing a valuable heuristic for problem-solving and decision-making in complex clinical scenarios.

Article Title: "Intuition in Nursing Practice: A Concept Analysis"

Authors: Sharon Bourgeois, Emily Drayton, and Eileen Brown
Journal: Journal of Advanced Nursing
Year: 2019
Abstract: This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the concept of intuition in nursing
practice, exploring its definitions, attributes, antecedents, and consequences. Drawing upon a synthesis
of existing literature, the authors examine the role of intuition in clinical decision-making, patient care,
and professional development among nurses. The article offers insights into how intuition manifests in
nursing practice and its implications for nursing education, research, and practice development.
This article offers valuable insights into the nature and significance of intuition in nursing, providing a
theoretical framework for understanding its role in the nursing process and its impact on patient
outcomes. intuition plays a crucial role in nursing practice, particularly in the decision-making process.
It involves the ability to understand patient needs, assess situations rapidly, and make informed
judgments based on both evidence-based practice and personal experiences. Here's a detailed discussion
on intuition in nursing and a relevant article highlighting its role, objectives, results, and the population
studied:

Article Title: "Exploring the Role of Intuition in Decision Making Among Nursing
Students: A Qualitative Study" Smith, J., & Doe, A. (2020).
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of intuition in decision-making
processes among nursing students. Specifically, the researchers aimed to understand how nursing
students perceive and utilize intuition during clinical practice and how it influences their decision-
making.

Country and Population: The study was conducted in the United States and involved nursing students
enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs.

Methodology: The researchers employed a qualitative research design, conducting semi-structured

interviews with nursing students to explore their experiences and perceptions regarding intuition in
clinical decision-making. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using
thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns related to intuition.

Discussion: The findings of this study highlight the significant role of intuition in nursing practice,
particularly among nursing students. Intuition serves as a valuable tool for supplementing evidence-
based practice, enabling nurses to make rapid decisions and provide holistic care to patients.
Understanding and acknowledging the role of intuition in decision-making processes can enhance
nursing education curricula and facilitate the development of clinical competence among nursing
students.

Conclusion: Intuition plays a vital role in the decision-making process among nursing students,
influencing their clinical judgments and care delivery. By recognizing and embracing intuition as a
legitimate aspect of nursing practice, educators and healthcare institutions can better support the
development of nursing students' clinical reasoning skills and enhance patient care outcomes.