A pragmatic view of intuitive knowledge in nursing practice

Examining and exploring the intuitive knowledge--ergo intuition--of nurses is a critical undertaking for the practice of nursing. Traditionally, as nurses, we have been conditioned to value empirical knowledge above all other forms of knowledge. Intuition is, however, a rich source of nursing knowledge and, the authors would suggest, integral to the practice of nursing. Explicit recognition and embracing of intuition, as being a legitimate form of knowledge in the practice arena, must be intentionally nurtured. The focus of this paper is to explore intuitive knowledge within the context of nursing practice. It will also address various influences on our understanding of intuition as an essential form of nursing knowledge.