Definition
The King theory of nursing was developed by Imogene King and encompasses a conceptual framework of interacting systems (personal, interpersonal, and social systems), and a theory of goal attainment based on King's transaction process model.
Description
King's theory of nursing refers to both a conceptual framework and a goal attainment theory developed by Imogene King. King graduated from St. John's Hospital School of Nursing in 1945 with a degree in nursing, and received a Bachelor's of Science degree from St. Louis University, also in nursing, in 1948, and a Master's of Science in Nursing from the same institution in 1957. In 1961 King graduated with a doctor of education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Imogene King has taught at many universities including Loyola University in Chicago, Ohio State University, and the University of South Florida. She also has many years of nursing experience including nursing in hospitals, physician's offices, and schools.
The conceptual framework that King developed involves three interacting sets of systems. On the smallest level are personal systems, comprised of individuals. Examples of personal systems are individual nurses and patients. The second level of systems are interpersonal systems, or groups. These are generally small groups. A family is an interpersonal system, and when a nurse and patient interact they also form an interpersonal system. The largest systems are social systems, or societies. Examples of social systems are religious organizations, universities, and hospitals.
The theory of goal attainment, which lies at the heart of King's theory of nursing, exists in the context of her conceptual framework. The essence of goal attainment theory is that the nurse and the patient work together to define and reach goals that they set together. The patient and nurse each perceive, judge, and act, and together the patient and nurse react to each other and interact with each other. At the end of this process of communication and perceiving, if a goal has been set a transaction is said to have occurred. The nurse and patient also decide on a way to work toward the goal that has been decided upon, and put into action the plan that has been agreed upon. King believes that the main function of nursing is to increase or to restore the health of the patient, so then, transactions should occur to set goals related to the health of the patient. After transactions have occurred and goals have been defined by the nurse and patient together, both parties work toward the stated goals. This may involve interactions with other systems, such
After the transaction has occurred, and the goal has been set, King believes that it is important for good documentation to be practiced by the nurse. She believes that documenting the goal can help to streamline the process of goal attainment, making it easier for nurses to communicate with each other and other healthcare workers involved in the process. It also helps to provide a way to determine if the goal is achieved. This assessment of whether or not the goal has been successfully achieved plays an important end stage in King's goal attainment theory.
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