Theory of Goal Attainment
Introduction Imogene King is a nationally recognized theorist, leader and educator. She developed the Theory of Goal Attainment while trying to outline content for a new graduate program (Leddy & Pepper, 2006). It has become the basis for establishing health care goals for patients and directing patient care. The main purpose of the theory is to help patients attain, maintain or restore health. The purpose of this paper is to discuss Imogene King and the theory of goal attainment, including all three levels. The Theory of Goal Attainment identifies three levels found in the environment: personal, interactional and social. The primary level is the personal system level where the care of the patient is the main focus. The second level is the interactional level where the nurse deals with small groups. The final level is the social level with nurses providing care through social programs (Catalano, 2006).
Imogene King Imogene King began her career with a diploma in nursing from St. John’s Hospital in 1945. She then continued her education with a Bachelor of Nursing in 1948, a Masters in nursing in 1957 and a Doctorate in Education in 1961. King began developing her theory while working as an associate professor of nursing and in 1971 she published Toward a Theory of Nursing: General Concepts of Human Behavior. She revised the ideas more and in 1981 published A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts, and Process (Ruby, 1995). King’s theory of goal attainment has been used in the educational and clinical settings for many years. She has served on committees for the American Nurses Association at the local, state and national level. She mentored many undergraduate and graduate nurses that have gone on to become leaders (Messmer, 2006).
Theory of Goal Attainment Theory shapes how a problem is defined. Problems are researched and solutions are identified. Once the results
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