Characteristics of Intuitive Nurses

Abstract

A description is provided of the process used to verify characteristics of intuitive nurses that had been reported in the literature. These characteristics supplied the framework for construction of the Miller Intuitiveness Instrument (MII) reported earlier (Miller, 1993). Evidence for validity of the MII was provided in the Miller (1993) study by examining factor analyses and correlations with the intuitive component of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The following characteristics were subsequently verified: Intuitive nurses are willing to act on their intuitions, are skilled clinicians, and incorporate a spiritual component in their practices. In addition, intuitive nurses express an interest in the abstract nature of things and are risk takers. Intuitive nurses prefer intuition to sensing (as reflected by the MBTI) as a way to take in information. They are extroverted and express confidence in their intuitions. Likewise, nurses who delay making decisions until all the information is in are more intuitive than those who make decisions abruptly.

The intuitive nurse in critical care practice: a phenomenological study

“…7 In Kosowski and Roberts' study, the participants spoke about the importance of having an accurate and substantive knowledge of contextual variables because acting on their intuition felt like taking a risk, and agreed that comprehensive knowledge of the agency's system and its adherence to protocols was a key factor in their ability to use intuition in clinical decision making. 4 Miller (1995), also mentioned clinical mastery to describe an intuitive nurse. 2 The results of confirmed that expertise in intuitive nurses would be achieved through three phases; cognitive intuition, where assessment is processed subconsciously and can be rationalized in hindsight; transitional intuition, where a physical sensation and other behaviors enter the nurse's awareness; and embodied intuition, when the nurse trusts the intuitive thoughts.…”

“…4 Miller (1995), also mentioned clinical mastery to describe an intuitive nurse. 2 The results of confirmed that expertise in intuitive nurses would be achieved through three phases; cognitive intuition, where assessment is processed subconsciously and can be rationalized in hindsight; transitional intuition, where a physical sensation and other behaviors enter the nurse's awareness; and embodied intuition, when the nurse trusts the intuitive thoughts. 12 However, in the opinion of Pretz and Folse, the experience has effect on just some special parts of intuition, such as skillful domain, even though there are no correlations between them in terms of physical and spiritual extents.…”

“…The desire to help was an internal feeling, they tried to overcome all the progressive difficulties encountered by the patients; P. 2 Some of the participants such as P.1 and P.5 preferred the patient welfare to their comfort, they declared when the nurses adhere to the nursing criteria such as humanity and honestly help others, could achieve more intuition and reach to the supreme step of humanbeing.…”

“…1 The concept was considered a gestalt experience of awareness, without a logical explanation, 2 and was defined as a feeling of knowing that something terrible is happening, 3 an immediate unconsciousness perception, 4 a direct understanding a truth without the analytical process, 5 a non-linear process of knowing through physical awareness, emotional awareness and making connections between them, 6 and an irrational unconsciousness approach of knowing. Intuition in nursing is comprehended as a gut feeling and many negative senses such as having a very bad feeling, feeling uncomfortable, feeling there was something terribly wrong, something missing or there was something they had not done.…”

“…16 Miller argued these nurses were willing to act on their intuitions, were skilled clinicians, incorporating a spiritual component into their practices, expressed an interest in the abstract nature of things, and were risk takers. 2 It is also believed that critical care nurses use intuition as best practice in complicated and emergency clinical situations, 17 because they care for more critically ill patients. 18,19 Given that intuition is a complex, mysterious, and abstract concept, which cannot be articulated by nurses in clinical settings, 20 the idea of incorporating it in the nursing curriculum faces many restraints.…”