1. Goal Attainment Theory

3.  1945- received Nursing Diploma from St.
John’s Hospital of Nursing St. Louis, Missouri
 1948- BS Nursing & Education with minors in
Philosophy and Chemistry from St. John’s
Hospital of Nursing St. Louis, Missouri
 1957- Master of Science Nursing from St.
John’s University

4.  1961- Doctorate in Education from Teachers
College, Columbia University
 1980- Honorary Ph.D from Southern Illinois
University
Postdoctoral study in research design,
statistics and computer

5.  Administrator Director of the Ohio State
University, School of Nursing (1968-1972).
 Educator at St. John’s Hospital School of
Nursing; Loyola University, and University of
South Florida (1961-1980)
 Practitioner as Adult Medical – Surgical Nurse.

6.  Assistant Chief at the Research Grants
Branch, Division of Nursing, Department
of Health and Welfare. Washington, D.C.
(1966-1968)
 Was honored as Professor Emeritus at
University of South Florida in 1990.

7. She was challenged by her Philosophy Professor with a
question.
“Have you or any other nurses have defined the “Nursing
Act”?”
She pursue to answer the question, and reading
courses led her to the
General Systems Theory and hence to another set of
questions. With the thought of:
“What is the goal of nursing?”
“THEORY OF GOAL ATTAINMENT”

8.  Person- exist in an open system as a spiritual and
rational thinker who makes choices, selects
alternative courses of action
 Health- "the dynamic life experience of a human
being" and not simply in the context of bodily
processes. She recognizes the ability of a person to
"continuously adjust to internal and external
stressors" by maximizing available resources to
achieve "maximum potential for daily living".

9.  Environment- process of balance involving
internal and external interactions inside the
social system
 Nursing- act wherein the nurse interacts and
communicates with the client.

10. Interpersonal
Personal System Social System
System
• Perception • Interaction • Organization
• Self • Communication • Authority
• Growth and • Transaction • Power
development • Role • Status
• Body image • Stress • Decision making
• Time • Coping • Control
• Space
• Learning

11.  Perception—one's image of reality, and influences
one's behavior.
 Self— a composite of thoughts and feelings that
constitute a person's awareness of individual
existence, of who and what he or she is.
 Growth and development—behavioral changes in
human beings that help individuals move toward
maturity.

12.  Body image—a person's perception of his or her
body.
 Time—the duration between the occurrence of one
event and the occurrence of another event.
 Space—the physical area called territory that exists in
all directions.
 Learning—gaining knowledge.

13.  Interactions—the acts of two or more persons in mutual
presence; a sequence of verbal and nonverbal behaviors
that are goal directed.
 Communication—the vehicle by which human relations
are developed and maintained; encompasses
intrapersonal, interpersonal, verbal, and nonverbal
communication.
 Transaction—a process of interaction in which human
beings communicate with the environment to achieve
goals that are valued; goal-directed human behaviors.

14.  Role—a set of behaviors expected of a person
occupying a position in a social system.
 Stress—a dynamic state whereby a human
being interacts with the environment to
maintain balance for growth, development,
and performance, involving an exchange of
energy and information between the person
and the environment for regulation and
control of stressors.
 Coping—a way of dealing with stress.

15.  Organization—composed of human beings with
prescribed roles and positions who use resources to
accomplish personal and organizational goals.
 Authority—a transactional process characterized by
active, reciprocal relations in which members' values,
backgrounds, and perceptions play a role in defining,
validating, and accepting the authority of individuals
within an organization.
 Power—the process whereby one or more persons
influence other persons in a situation.

16.  Status—the position of an individual in a group
or a group in relation to other groups in an
organization.
 Decision making—a dynamic and systematic
process by which goal-directed choice of
perceived alternatives is made and acted upon
by individuals or groups to answer a question
and attain a goal.
 Control—being in charge.

17.  The theory of Imogene Kings starts with a
person who has a health need which can be
classified into three:
1.) need for health information which is usable
2.) need for care that seeks to prevent illness
3.) need for care when human beings are unable
to help themselves.

18. The basic assumption of the
theory - is that nurses and clients
communicate information, set
goals mutually, and then act to
attain goals .

21. Despite King’s many awards and
honors, she considered teaching
students to be her most important
accomplishment. Over the years,
she enjoyed watching her nursing
students become expert
practitioners, teachers and
researchers. “That is the biggest
honor of all,” King said. (Houser &
Player, 2007, p. 130)

22. THANK YOU!