IMOGENE M.
KING 1975 – 1979 – she was elected as an Alderman
(Jan. 30, 1923 – Dec. 24, 2007)
Credentials and Background of the Theorist
Born on 30 January 1923 in West Point, Iowa.
Died on 24 December 2007 in St. Petersburg,
Florida. Buried in Fort Madison, Iowa
1945 – she received her diploma in nursing from
St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing in St.
Louis, Missouri.
1948 – received Bachelor of Science in Nursing
from St. Louis University.
1957 – received Master of Science in nursing
from St. Louis University
1947 – 1958 – she worked as an instructor in MS
Nursing. She was also an assistant director at St.
John’s Hospital School of Nursing.
1961 – King studied with Mildred Montag as her
dissertation chair at Teachers College, Columbia
University, in New York, and received her EdD.
1961 – 1966 – she developed a master’s degree
program in Nursing at Loyola University in
Chicago.
1964 – her first nursing theory appeared in the
journal, Nursing Science, which nurse theorist
Martha Rogers edited.
1966 – 1968 – King served under Jessie Scott as
Assistant Chief of Research Grants Branch,
Division of Nursing at the U.S. Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare. While she is in
Washington, her article, “A Conceptual Frame of
Reference for Nursing” was published in Nursing
Research. (1968)
1968 – 1972 – King was the director of the School
of Nursing at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Also, her book, “Toward a Theory for Nursing:
General Concepts of Human Behavior” (1971)
was published. She was a professor in the Loyola
University Graduate program. (1972)
1973 – Her book “Toward a Theory for Nursing:
General Concepts of Human Behavior” received
the American Journal of Nursing Book of the
Year Award.
1978 – 1980 – served as Coordinator of Research
in Clinical Nursing at the Loyola Medical Center
Development of Nursing. She was also awarded
an Honorary PhD from Southern Illinois
University.
1972 – 1975 – King was a member of the Defense
Advisory committee on Women in the Services
for the U.S. Department of Defense.
for a 4-year term in Ward 2 of Wood Dale,
Illinois.
1980 – King was appointed professor at the
University of South Florida College of Nursing in
Tampa.
1981 – her second book, “A Theory for Nursing:
Systems, Concepts, Process” was published.
1986 – she published her third book,
“Curriculum and Instruction in Nursing:
Concepts and Process” was published.
1990 – King retired and was professor emeritus
at the University of South Florida.
She continued to provide community service and
helped plan care through her conceptual systems
and theory at various health care organizations,
including Tampa General Hospital.
King was a long-time member of the American
Nurses Association (ANA), first with the
Missouri Nurses Association, and was also active
in Illinois and Ohio.
She became a member of in the Florida Nurses
Association (FNA) and FNA District 4. She held
offices such as President of FNA District 4
Boards and was a Delegate of the FNA to the
ANA House of Delegates.
1994 – she was inducted as a fellow in the
American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and
served on AAN Theory Expert Panel.
1996 – she received the Jessie M. Scott award and
was thrilled the Scott was present.
1997 – she received a gold medallion from
Governor Chiles for advancing the Nursing
profession in the state of Florida.
1998 – she received her honorary doctorate from
Loyola University where her “Nursing
Collection” was housed.
1999 – King was inducted in the into the Teachers
College, Columbia University.
2004 – she was inducted into the FNA Hall of
Fame and the ANA Hall of Fame.
1995 – she was named a Living Legend.
Major Assumptions
Nursing
It is an observable behavior found in the
health care systems in society.
It is an interpersonal process of action,
reaction, interaction, and transaction.
Perceptions of a nurse and a patient influence
the interpersonal process.
 The goal of nursing is to help individuals
maintain their health so they can function in
their roles.
Person
Individuals are spiritual beings
Individuals have the ability through their
language and other symbols to record their
history and preserve their culture.
Individuals are unique and holistic, of
intrinsic worth, and capable of rational
thinking and decision making in most
situations.
Individuals differ in their needs, wants, and
goals.
King wrote, “Individuals have the right to
knowledge about themselves… a right to
participate in decisions that influence their life,
their health, and community service [and]… a
right to accept or reject health care”
Health
Is viewed as a dynamic state in the life cycle;
illness is an interference in the life cycle.
It implies continuous adaptation to stress “in
the internal and external environment
through optimum use of one’s resources to
achieve maximum potential for daily living.
Health is the function of a nurse, patient,
physician, family, and other interactions.
Environment
“an understanding of the ways that human
beings interact with their environment to
maintain health is essential for nurses.
Open systems imply interactions occur
between the system and its environment,
interfering that the environment is constantly
changing.
“adjustments to life and health are influenced
by [an] individual’s interactions with
environment… Each human being perceives
the world as a total person in making
transactions with individuals and things in
the environment.”
Major Concepts and Definitions
Interaction – “a process of perception and community
between person and environment and between person and
person, represented by verbal and non-verbal behaviors
that are goal directed.” Each individual in an interaction
“brings different knowledge, needs, goals, past
experiences, and perceptions, which influence the
interaction.
Perception – “each person’s representation of reality.”
According to King, this concept includes the import and
transformation of energy, and processing, storing, and
exporting information. “Perception are related to past
experiences, concept of self, socioeconomic groups,
biological inheritance, and educational background.”
Communication – “a process whereby information is
given from one person to another either directly… or
indirectly… communication is the information
component of the interactions.” The exchange of verbal
and non-verbal signs and symbols between nurse and
client, or client and environment, is communication.
Transactions – “transactions are defined as purposeful
interactions that lead to goal attainment.” King goes on to
subsequently expand the definition of the transactions to
include “observable behavior of human beings interacting
with their environment… the evaluation component of
human interactions.”
Role – “a set of behaviors expected of persons occupying
a position in a social system; rules that define rights and
obligations in a position.” If expectations of a role differ,
then role conflict and confusion exist. This may lead to
decreased effectiveness of the nursing care provided.
Stress – “it is a dynamic state whereby a human being
interacts with the environment.” Stress “involves an
exchange of energy and information between the person
and the environment for regulation and control of
stressors… an energy response of an individual to
persons, objects, and events.” An increase in the stress of
the individual interacting can narrow the perceptual field
and decreases rationality. An increase in stress may also
affect nursing care.
Growth and Development – “continuous changes in
individuals at the cellular, molecular, and behavioral
activities… conducive to helping individuals move
toward maturity.”
Time – “Time is defined as a sequence of events moving
onward to the future… time is a duration between one
event and another as uniquely experienced by each human
being.”
Basic Assumptions
1. Perceptual accuracy in nurse-patient interactions
increases mutual goal nursing.
2. Communications increases mutual goal setting
between nurses and patients and leads to
satisfaction.
3. Satisfactions in nurses and patients increase goal
attainments.
4. Goal attainment decreases stress and anxiety in
nursing situations
 5. Goal attainment increases patient learning and
coping ability in nursing situations.
6. Role conflict experienced by patients, nurses, or
both decreases transactions in nurse-patient
interactions.
7. Congruence in role expectations and role
performance increases transactions in nurse-
patient.
Theory of Goal Attainment (1981)
King derived her middle-range Theory of Goal
Attainment from her conceptual system. The question that
motivated King to develop this theory was, “What is the
nature of Nursing?” she noted the answer to be: “the way
in which nurses, in their role, do with and for individuals
that differentiates nursing from other health
professionals.”
Process of Human Interactions that leads to
Transactions
King used this model of transaction to test her theory.
She examined multiple interactions, both verbal and
non-verbal behaviors data.
Critique
Clarity
A major strong point of King’s conceptual system
and theory of goal attainment is the ease with
which it can be understood by nurses. Concepts
are concretely defined and illustrated.
Simplicity
King’s definitions are clear and are conceptually
derived from research literature. King’s 1978
theory of goal attainment presents 10 major
concepts, which are easily understood and
derived from research literature.
Generality
King’s works has been criticized for having
limited application in areas of nursing in which
patients are unable to interact competently with
the nurse.
Empirical Precision
Many researches were led by King’s theory of
goal attainment.
Derivable Consequences
King’s middle range theory, theory of goal
attainment, focused on all aspects of the nursing
process: assessment, planning, goal setting,
implementation, and evaluation.