Christine Nash exemplifies reflective practice as a frequently used but infrequently defined concept in nursing (Jarvis 1992), with intuition seldom granted legitimacy as a sound approach to clinical judgement (Benner and Tanner 1987). She follows with a personal account of how she used reflective practice and intuitive skills in reassessing an A&E attender

One late shift, I came on duty and took over from a nurse from the previous shift who handed over to me a young woman who I will call Ann. The patient had been seen and assessed by the A&E doctor and found to be having a threatened abortion. She was now awaiting transfer by ambulance to one of our neighbouring hospitals where she was to receive gynaecological care.