Imogene King's Goal Attainment Theory focuses on nurse-client interactions and transactions. The theory proposes that through communication, nurses and clients can perceive each other, set mutual goals, and work together to achieve those goals. The theory is based on three interacting systems - personal, interpersonal, and social systems - and defines key concepts like perception, role, stress, and time. The goal of nursing is to help individuals maintain their health and function in their roles through the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

1. Imogene King’s Goal
Attainment Theory
Presenter : Ms. Ritika soni

2.  Biography
 Theoretical sources
 Major concepts & definitions
 Propositions of King’s Theory
 Boundary criteria
 Major metaparadigms
 Major assumptions
 Theory & nursing process
 King’s model of nursing process
 Characteristics of theory
 Application of theory in other areas
 Example
 Critiques of theory
 References

3. Biography :
• Born in 30 Jan, 1923.
• Earned a diploma in nursing
from St. John’s Hospital of
Nursing in St Louis, Missouri
in 1945.
• Worked as office nurse, staff
nurse, school nurse, and
private duty nurse to support
herself while studying for a
baccalaureate degree.

4.  Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Louis
University in 1948
 Masters of Science in Nursing from St. Louis University in
1957
 Doctorate from Teacher’s college, Columbia University,
New York in 1961.
 In 1980, honorary doctor of philosophy degree, Southern
Illinois university

5.  Her Ed.D is from teacher’s college, Columbia university, New
York.
 Experience in nursing as administrator, educator&
practitioner.
 Position in nursing education have included as Director ,
school of nursing, The Ohio state university , Columbus, Ohio;
professor of nursing, Loyola university of Chicago, Chicago,
Illinois; & professor, college of nursing, university of south
Florida, Tampa, Florida.
 Died on 24dec,2007 on Charismas eve.

6. Published two books:
 In1971 : Toward a theory of nursing:
general concepts of human behaviour
 In 1981: A theory for nursing: systems,
concepts and process.
 1996, ANA, Jessie M. Scott Award.
 2004, inducted in to the ANA hall of fame

7. • King: “A search for literature in nursing and other
behavioral science fields, discussion with
colleagues, attendance at numerous
conference, inductive and deductive reasoning,
and some critical thinking about the information
gathered, lead me to formulate my own
theoretical framework.”

8. • The general systems theory from the behavioral
sciences led to the development of her dynamic
interacting systems.
• King: “If the goal of nursing is concern for the health of
individuals and the health care of groups, and if one
accepts the premise that human beings are open
systems interacting with the environment, then a
conceptual framework for nursing must be organized to
incorporate these ideas.

9. MAJOR
CONCEPTS
AND
DEFINITIONS

10. King developed a major concept I.e.. General
Open Systems Framework and a Theory of
Goal Attainment .
A. open systems framework includes:
1.Several basic assumptions
2.Interacting system (individual or personal, group
or interpersonal, and society or social )
3. Several concepts relevant for each system

11. B. Theory of goal
attainment includes:
a) Interaction
b) Perception
c) Communication
d) Transaction,
e) Role, stress
f) Growth and
Development
g) Time and Personal
space.

13. 1. Individual or personal system
2. Group or interpersonal system
3. Society or social system

14. Society-social
system
Groups- interpersonal
system
Individual-
personal
system

15. Each individual is a personal system, who
are regarded as rational, sentient, social
beings.
These are fundamentals in understanding
human being because this refers to how
the nurse views and integrates self based
from personal goals and beliefs.

16.  The concepts for the personal system are:
• Perception
• Self
• Growth and Development
• Body image
• Space
• Time.
• Among all these concepts, the most important is
perception, because it influences behavior.

17. 1.Perception— a process of organizing, interpreting, and
transforming information from sense data and memory that
gives meaning to one's experience, represents one's image
of reality, and influences one's behavior.
2.Self— a composite of thoughts and feelings that constitute
a person's awareness of individual existence, of who and
what he or she is.

18. 3.Growth and development— cellular, molecular, and
behavioral changes in human beings that are a function of
genetic endowment, meaningful and satisfying experiences,
and an environment conducive to helping individuals move
toward maturity.
4.Body image—a person's perceptions of his or her own
body, other’s reaction to his appearance.
5.Time—the duration between the occurrence of one event
and the occurrence of another event.
6.Space—the physical area called territory that exists in all
directions.
7.Learning—gaining knowledge.

19. Interpersonal systems are formed by human beings
interacting.
King refers two interacting individuals forms dyads,
three form a triads and four or more individuals form
small group or large group (King, 1981).
This shows how the nurse interrelates with a co-worker
or patient, particularly in a nurse-patient relationship.
Communication between the nurse and the client can
be verbal or nonverbal.
Collaboration between the Dyads (nurse-patient) is very
important for the attainment of the goal.

20. The concepts associated for the interpersonal
system are:
1. Interaction
2. Communication
3. Transaction
4. Role
5. Stress.

21. 1. Interactions— defined as the observable behavior of
two or more persons in mutual presence; a sequence of
verbal and nonverbal behaviors that are goal directed.
 It is characterized by values; mechanism for establishing
human relationships; being universally experienced; being
influenced by perceptions, reciprocity, being mutual, or
interdependent; containing verbal & non-verbal behavior.
2. Communication— acc. to king “ communication is a
process whereby information is given from one person to
another person either directly in face to face meetings or
indirectly through telephone, television, or the written word.”
• it is the vehicle by which human relations are developed
and maintained; encompasses intrapersonal, interpersonal,
verbal, and nonverbal communication.

22. 3 Transaction—a process of interaction in
which human beings communicate with the
environment to achieve goals that are
valued; goal-directed human behaviors.
4. Role—a set of behaviors expected when
occupying a position in a social system.
- Role is a relationship with one or more
individuals interacting in specific situations for
a purpose.

23. 5..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. Stress is positive or negative
6.Coping—a way of dealing with stress.
Interpersonal system join together to form larger
system known as social system

25. • Social systems is defined as an organized boundary
systems of social roles, behaviors, and practices
developed to maintain values and the mechanisms to
regulate the practices and rules.
• E.g.: families, religious groups, educational system, work
system, and peer groups.
• These are groups of people within the community or
society that share a common goals, values and
interests. It provides a framework for social interaction
and relationships and establishes rules of behavior and
courses of action (King, 1971)..

26. The concepts associated for the social
system are:
1. Organization
2. Authority
3. Power
4. Status
5. Decision making

27. 1. Organization
King defines organization as being, “ composed of
human beings with prescribed roles and positions
who use resources to accomplish personal and
organization goals”.
Four parameters for organization:
1. Human values, behavior patterns, needs , goals &
expectations.
2. A natural environment in which material and human
resources are essential for achieving goals.
3. Employers and employees or parents, children ,
who form the groups that collectively interacts to
achieve goal.
4. Technology that facilitates goal attainment.

28. 2. 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.
Characteristics:
a) Order, guidance, responsibility.
b) Should be reciprocal because it requires cooperation.
3. Power— kings define power is “ the capacity to
use resources in organization to achieve goals”.
- “the process whereby one or more persons
influence other persons in a situation".
Power is universal, situational, or not a personal
attribute.; essential in organization.

29. 4.Status—”the position of an individual in a group
or a group in relation to other groups in an
organization”.
It is accompanied by “privileges, duties &
obligations”.
5. 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".
It is necessary to regulate each person’s life,
work. It is universal, personal , subjective,
situational, a continuous process & goal directed

30. •Among the three systems, the conceptual
framework of Interpersonal system had the
greatest influence on the development of her
theory. She stated that “Although personal
systems and social systems influence
quality of care, the major elements in a
theory of goal attainment are discovered in
the interpersonal systems in which two
people, who are usually strangers, come
together in a health care organization to help
and to be helped, to maintain a state of
health that permits functioning in roles”
( King, 1981 p. 142).

31. The major elements are seen “ in the
interpersonal systems, in which two
people , who are strangers come together
in a health care organization to help and
be helped to maintain a state of health
that permits functioning in roles” .

32. • King believed that the goal of nursing “is to
help individuals maintain their health so
they can function in their roles” (King,
1981), transactions occur to set goals
related to the health of the patient.
Nursing's focus is on the care of the
patient, and its goal is the health care
Of patients and groups of patients.

33. Concepts of theory are:
1. Interaction
2. Perception
3. Communication
4. Transaction
5. Role
6. Stress
7. Growth and development
8. Time
9. space

35. 1. Interaction: “process of perception &
communication, between person &
environment and between person to
person , represented by verbal and non-
verbal behaviors that are goal directed”.
In kings diagram: each of the
individuals involved in an interaction
brings different ideas, attitude, and
perceptions to exchange.

36. The individual come together for a purpose
and perceive each other ; each makes a
judgment and takes mental action or
decides to act. Then each reacts to the
other & the situations ( perception,
judgment, action, reaction)
kings indicate that the interaction &
transaction are directly observable.

37. 2. PERCEPTION: “is each persons
representations of reality”. This element
helps to import energy from the
environment and organizing it by
information; transforming energy ;
processing information; storing
information; & exporting information in the
form of overt behavior”.

38. 3. communication:
“ a process whereby information is given
from one person to another either directly
in face to face meetings or indirectly
telephone , television, or in written word.”
Communication represents and is involved
in , the information component of
interaction.

39. 4. Transaction:
“ is defined as observable behaviors of
human beings interacting with their
environment”.
Transactions represents the valuation
component of human interactions and
involves bargaining, negotiating, and social
exchange.
When transaction occur between nurses and
clients , goals are attained.

40. 5. Role:
is defied as “ a set of behaviors expected
of persons occupying a position in a social
system; rules that define rights and
obligations in a position ; a relationship
with one or more individuals interacting in
a specific situation for a purpose”.
It is important that roles be understood and
interpreted clearly to avoid conflicts and
confusion.

41. 6. stress: “ is dynamic state whereby human
beings interacts with the environment to
maintain balance for growth, development
and performance.
- an energy response of an individual to
persons , objects, and events, called
stressors.
- stress may be positive or negative, too high
level of stress may decrease an individual’s
ability to interact and to attain goals.

42. 7. Growth and development:
“ continuous changes in individuals at the
cellular, molecular, and behavioral levels
of activities.
the process that takes place in the life of
individuals that helps them move from
potential capacity for achievement to self
actualizations”.

43. 8. Time:
“ a sequence of events moving towards to
the future”.
- a continuous flow of events in successive
order that implies a change, a past and a
future
- a duration between one event and
another as uniquely experienced by each
human being
- a relation of one event to another.

44. 9. Space:
Exists “ in all directions and is the same
everywhere
- A physical area called territory
- Defined by the behavior of individuals
occupying it”.

47. • If perceptual interaction accuracy is
present in nurse-client interactions,
transaction will occur
• If nurse and client make transaction,
goal will be attained
• If goal are attained, satisfaction will
occur

48. • If transactions are made in nurse-client
interactions, growth & development will be
enhanced
• If role expectations and role performance as
perceived by nurse & client are congruent,
transaction will occur
• If role conflict is experienced by nurse or
client or both, stress in nurse-client
interaction will occur
• If nurse with special knowledge skill
communicate appropriate information to
client, mutual goal setting and goal
attainment will occur.

51. NURSING
PERSON
HEALTH
ENVIRONMENT

52. • “Aprocess of action,
reaction and interaction by
which nurse and client
share information about
their perception in nursing
situation.” and “a process of
human interactions
between nurse and client
whereby each perceives the
other and the situation, and
through communication,
they set goals, explore
means, and agree on
means to achieve goals.”

53. • Action: is defined as a sequence of behaviors involving
mental and physical action.
• Reaction: which is considered as included in the sequence of
behaviors described in action.
• In addition to the above definitions of nursing , king discussed:
- goal
-- domain
- functions of professional nurse
• Goal of nurse: “To help individuals to maintain their health so
they can function in their roles.”
• Domain of nurse: “includes promoting, maintaining, and restoring
health, and caring for the sick, injured and dying.
• Function of professional nurse: “To interpret information in
nursing process to plan, implement and evaluate nursing
care.

54. • Human being or
person refers to social
being who are rational
and sentient, social,
perceiving, controlling,
purposeful, action&
time oriented.
• Person has ability to :
– perceive
– think
– feel
– choose
– set goals
– select means to
achieve goals and
– to make decision

55. • Human being has three
fundamental needs:
1. The need for the
health information that
is unable at the time
when it is needed and
can be used
2.The need for care that
seek to prevent illness,
and
3.The need for care when
human beings are
unable to help
themselves.

56. • “Health involves
dynamic life
experiences of a
human being, which
implies continuous
adjustment to
stressors in the
internal and external
environment through
optimum use of one’s
resources to achieve
maximum potential
for daily living".

57. • Environment is the
background for
human interactions.
• It involves:
1. Internal environment:
transforms energy to enable
person to adjust to
continuous external
environmental changes.
2. External environment:
involves formal and informal
organizations. Nurse is a
part of the patient’s
environment.

58.  King’s conceptual framework and theory of
goal attainment “are based on an overall
assumption that the focus of nursing is
human beings interacting with their
environment leading to a state of health for
individuals, which is an ability to function in
social roles”

59. • Nursing focus is the care of human being
• Nursing goal is the health care of individuals &
groups
• Human beings: are open systems interacting
constantly with their environment.
• Basic assumption of goal attainment theory is that
nurse and client communicate information, set
goal mutually and then act to attain those goals, is
also the basic assumption of nursing process

60. • “Each human being perceives the world as a
total person in making transactions with
individuals and things in environment”
• “Transaction represents a life situation in which
perceiver & thing perceived are encountered
and in which person enters the situation as an
active participant and each is changed in the
process of these experiences”

61.  ASSESSMENT
 Nurse bring special knowledge and skills
whereas client brings knowledge of self and
perception of problems of concern, to this
interaction.
 Nurse collects data regarding client.
 Perception is the basis for collection and
interpretation of data.
 Communication is required to verify accuracy
of perception, for interaction and transaction.

62.  The data collected by assessment are used to
make nursing diagnosis in nursing process.
Planning
 Planning for interventions to solve those problems
is done.
 Planning is represented by setting goals and
making decisions about and being agreed on the
means to achieve the goals.
 This is a part of transaction and client`s
participation is encouraged in making decision on
the means to achieve the goals.
Implementation :

63. The evaluation phase of the process
requires a decision to be made with
regard to whether the goal was attained
and, if necessary, the determination of
why the goal was not attained
(King,1992).

66. 1. King has interrelated the concepts of
interaction, perception, communication,
transaction, self, role, stress, growth &
developments, time, and space in a
theory of goal attainment. Her theory
deals with a nurse client dyad.
2. King’s theory of goal attainment does
describe a logical sequence of events.
The concepts are clearly defined.

67. 3. Although the presentation appears to be
complex, kings theory of goal attainment
is relatively simple. Ten concepts are
identified , defined and their relationships
considered.
4.. Kings theory of goal attainment can be
used to guide and improve practices.

68. 5. Kings presents the following hypotheses that
she has derived from her theory of goal
attainment.
- Perceptual accuracy in nurse-patient
interactions increases mutual goal settings.
- Communication increases mutual goal
settings between nurse & patient , leads to
satisfaction.
- Goal attainment decreases stress & anxiety in
nursing situations.
- Satisfaction in nurses and patients increases
goal attainment.
- Goal attainment increases patient learning
and coping ability in nursing situations

70. • The theory’s relationship to practice is
obvious because the profession of nursing
functions through individuals and groups
within the environment.
• Useful in practice – individualized plans of
care while encouraging active participation
from clients in decision making.

71. • Has been used for curriculum design in
nursing programs and framework for
books
• It provides a systematic means of viewing
the nursing profession, organizing a body
of knowledge for nursing, and clarifying
nursing as a discipline.

72. • Research can be designed and conducted
to implement this system in a hospital unit,
in ambulatory care, in community nursing,
and home care.

80. • Simplicity – has nine major concepts, making it
complex; easily understood because they are defined to
show interrelations in nursing practice.; clear concepts
conceptually derived from identified characteristics
• Generality – has limited applications in areas of nursing;
King believes critics are assuming that a theory will
address every person, event, and situation, which is
impossible.

81. • Empirical Precision – goal attainment could be
measured along the effectiveness of nursing
care
• Derivable Consequences – theory deals with
choices, alternatives, participation of all
individuals in decision-making and specifically
deals with outcomes of nursing care.

82. • www.currentnursing.com
• http://imogenekingtheory.blogspot.com/p/k
ey-concepts.html
• Tomey, A.M., (1994). Nursing Theorists
and Their Work. 3rd ed. Missouri: Mosby