This solution shows that preference for intuition in nursing is not the same as preference for intuition in general and that nursing intuition itself is not a unitary construct. The factor analysis showed that domain-general intuition was independent of all measures of nursing intuition. Second, nursing intuition was found to have two dimensions: (1) a sense of being skilled, being able to read patients’ cues and a sense of affinity for innovation in practice and (2) a reliance on physical awareness of signs and energies and spiritual connections with patients.
Notably, there was some overlap among these factors, but greater overlap existed between the two nursing factors than with the general factor. A factor analysis with Direct Oblimin rotation which allowed for correlated factors showed that the three factors were correlated between 0•23–0•34. The fact that nursing and general intuition measures are not strongly correlated confirms the hypothesis that intuition is specific to the domain. Those individuals who trust intuition in the domain of nursing do not necessarily trust intuition generally. Intuition may be used primarily in the domain of expertise.
Effect of experience on intuition preference
The second research question concerned the effect of experience on intuition, both in the domain of experience and in general. It was expected that experience would be positively related to preference for nursing intuition. As nurses gain experience, they have more opportunities to accumulate data about the relationship between physical signs and specific patient outcomes. More experienced nurses may also have increased confidence in their intuitive judgement.