How we each define success can be different. The Imogene King theory of goal attainment is the structure that each of us uses to find that success. In order for you to find the perfect job, get the education you want, or support your family, you must have good health first.
To achieve good health, there must be goals and processes set to support healthy living. The theory of goal attainment is a guide for nurses to help their patients met those goals and processes so they can work toward their overall goals. When nurses and patients set goals together and then take actionable steps to achieve those goals, any success has the possibility to be achieve.
The 6 Assumptions of the Imogene King Theory of Goal Attainment
Imogene King believed that people were influenced by their personal assumption about others and their environment. This included nurses who were making assumptions based on their patients. By creating a specific set of assumptions for nurses to use, the theory of goal attainment looks to improve patient health and nurse satisfaction.
These are the 6 assumptions made by this theory.
1. The primary focus of the nursing industry is to care for all human beings.
2. Individuals or groups of individuals are supported by the goal of providing health care through nursing practices.
3. People are constantly interacting with their environment, including other people who are within that environment.
4. Patients and nurses are consistently communicating with one another, allowing each to set goals and then act upon those goals.
5. A patient perceives their environment as a method of making transactions, either with others or with other things in their vision of being a complete person.
6. Transactions which take place represent the situations in life that are encountered on a daily basis. Patients become active participants in the nursing environment, while nurses become active participants in the patient’s environment.
Through these assumptions, nurses can begin the process of taking action or reacting to situations that support the goal of providing good health to each person. There may be specific goals or problems that are shared by nurses or patients, but the theory of goal attainment provides the means to be able to explore how to achieve each goal.
The 8 Propositions of the Imogene King Theory of Goal Attainment
There are 8 propositions that are made in the theory go goal attainment. They are progressive propositions that help to promote, maintain, and restore health when they are implemented. Nurses can also use these propositions on their own as a method of caring for those who are injured, sick, or dealing with a terminal illness.
Here are the 8 propositions to consider.
1. If there is accuracy present within the perceptual interactions between nurses and patients, then a transaction is going to occur.
2. Once this transaction occurs, a goal can be achieved.
3. When goals are achieved, satisfaction is experienced.
4. When goals are achieved, it becomes possible to provide nursing care that is effective.
5. Development and growth are enhanced whenever a transaction occurs within the scope of a nurse and patient interaction.
6. Transactions may also occur if the expectations or performance of each role as perceived by the nurse and the patient are congruent.
7. Stress occurs within the relationship of the nurse and patient if there is conflict in the roles that are observed or experienced.
8. When a nurse is able to communicate appropriate information to patients using their experience and knowledge, then a mutual transaction occurs that may include setting goals or goal achievement.
What Is Good Health in the Imogene King Theory of Goal Attainment?
“Good health” is a concept with a variable definition. Someone who is suffering from an illness may define good health as “feeling better.” On the other hand, a busy professional may define good health as the opportunity to “get 8 hours of sleep for the first time in a week.”
What the theory of goal attainment attempts to do is provide a foundation for consistent good health through the support of the nursing industry. Using internal and external triggers to recognize potential health concerns, the propositions allow for specific and actionable steps to be implemented so that any definition of good health can be maintained or improved.
The Imogene King theory of goal attainment identifies space, time, and learning as concepts that can be used by our interpersonal systems to achieve success. With the help of a nurse, each transaction can help everyone maximize their success.