Nurse Practitioners’ Use of Intuition

Intuition is known to support rapid and effective clinical performance in response to complex patient problems and situations. Little is known about the use of intuition among nurse practitioners (NP). Research to understand the use of intuition among NPs has been limited to qualitative methods. There is no documented investigation of the effect of gender and years of clinical work experience and the use of intuition among NPs. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine NPs’ use of intuition and the elements that may influence its use. This study provides a clearer understanding of how intuition guides NP practice.