Imogene King's Conceptual System and Middle-Range Goal Attainment Theory

Imogen King's Conceptual System

• Health is defined as dynamic life experiences of a human being, involving continuous adjustment to internal and external stressors to achieve maximum potential for daily living.

Nursing

• Nursing is defined as a process of action, reaction, and interaction between the nurse and client, sharing information about perceptions in the nursing situation.
• Nursing process is a dynamic interpersonal process between the nurse, client, and healthcare system.

Self

• Self is a composite of thoughts and feelings that constitute a person's awareness of their individual existence and conception of who and what they are.

Goal Attainment Theory

• Goal Attainment Theory was postulated by Imogen King, who viewed nursing as a helping profession that assists individuals and groups in society to attain, maintain, and restore health.
• If restore health is not possible, nurses help individuals die with dignity.
• King viewed nursing as an interaction process between the client and nurse, where transactions occur and goals are achieved during perceiving, setting goals, and acting on them.

Key Concepts

• Action: means of behavior or activities towards accomplishing certain acts.
• Reaction: form of reacting or a response to certain stimuli.
• Interaction: any situation where the nurse relates and deals with a client or patient.
• Open System: absence of boundary existence, where dynamic interaction between the internal and external environment can exchange information without barriers or hindrances.

Nursing Process

• Assessing or observing the client's present condition, including physical signs, symptoms, and feelings about self and people.
• Planning care, including illness prevention in the future and nursing care.
• Careful evaluation of personality and behavior, especially self-expression and socialization behaviors.

Metaparadigm

• Person: a biopsychosocial being, rational and sentient, with the ability to perceive, think, feel, choose, set goals, and select means to achieve goals.