Imogene King

Interacting Systems
Framework and Goal
Attainment Theory
Background:
 Had her diploma in nursing from St. John’s
Hospital of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri in
1945
 Received her BS in Nursing Education in St.
Louis University in 1948
 Earned an M.S.N. in 1957
 Earned a Doctor of Education in 1961 from
Teachers College, Columbia University, NY
 Awarded an honorary Ph.D. From Southern
Illinois University in 1980
 From 1968- 1972, her book Toward a Theory
in Nursing was published
 Was awarded the American Journal of
Nursing Book of the Year Award in 1973
 A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts,
Process was published in 1981
 Curriculum and Instruction in Nursing was
also published in 1986
Theory (King):
 “A set of concepts, which, when defined, are
interrelated and observable in the world of
nursing practice.”
 Theory serves to build “scientific knowledge
for nursing.”
2 methods for developing
theory (King):
 A theory can be developed and tested
through research
 Research can provide data from which a
theory may be developed

 King’s opinion is that “in today’s world of
building knowledge for a complex
profession such as nursing, one must
consider these two strategies.”
Development of Interacting Systems
Framework:
 Personal systems (individuals), individuals
exist within personal systems. An example
is being the patient or the nurse.
 Interpersonal systems are formed when two
or more individuals interact, forming dyads
or triads.
 Social system is referred to as a
comprehensive interacting system consists
of groups that make up society.
Development of Goal
 In 1981, King derived Attainment
the Theory of Goal
Theory:
Attainment from her interacting systems
framework.
 The question that motivated her was: “What
is the nature of nursing?”. The answer:
“the way in which nurses, in their role, do
with and for individuals that differentiates
nursing from other health professionals”,
guide the development of GAT.
Mutual goal setting is based on:
 A. Nurses’ assessment of client’s concerns,
problems, and disturbances in health
 B. Nurses’ and client’s perception
interference
 C. Their sharing of information whereby
each functions to help the client attain the
goals identified. In addition, nurses interact
with family members when clients cannot
verbally participate in the goal setting.
Major Concepts and
Definitions:
 Health is defined as 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.
 Nursing is defined as a process of action,
reaction, and interaction whereby nurse
and client share information about their
perceptions in the nursing situation.
 The self is a composite of thoughts and
feelings which constitute a person’s
awareness of his/ her individual existence,
his/ her conception of who and what he/ she
is. A person’s self is the total of all he/ she
can call his/ hers. The self includes, among
other things, a system of ideas, attitudes,
values and commitments. The self is a
person’s total subjective environment. It is a
distinctive center of experience and
significance. The self constitutes a person’s
inner world as distinguished from the outer
consisting of all other people and things. The
self is the individual as known to the
individual. It is that to which we refer when
we say “I”.
 Perception: a process in which data
obtained through the senses and from
memory are organized, interpreted, and
transformed

 Self: made up of thoughts and feelings
related to one’s awareness of being a
person separate from others and
influencing one’s view of who and what he
or she is
 Growth & development: processes in
people’s lives through which the move
from a potential for achievement to
actualization of self
 Body Image: includes both the way one
perceives one’s body and others’ reactions
to one’s appearance
 Space: physical area known as territory and
by the behaviours of those who occupy it
 Time: an interval between the two events
that is experienced differently by each
person

 Interactions: observable behaviours of two
or more persons in mutual presence
 Communication: verbal and non verbal
situational, perceptual, transactional,
irreversible, or moving fwd in time,
personal, and dynamic
 Transactions: a series of exchanges
between human beings and the
environment that include observable
behaviours that seek to reach goals of
worth to the participants
 Role: characteristic of role include
reciprocity in that a person may be a giver
at one time and a taker at another time,
with a relationship b/t two or more
individuals who are functioning in two or
more roles that are learned, social,
complex, and situational
 Stress: an ever changing condition in
which an individual, through
environmental interaction, seeks to keep
equilibrium to support growth and
development and activity

 Organization: made up of individuals who
have prescribed roles and positions and
who make use of resources to meet goals-
both personal and organizational

 Authority: active, reciprocal process of
transaction in which the actors’
experience, understanding, and values
influence the meaning, legitimacy and
acceptance of those in organizational
positions associated with authority
 Status: the relationship of one’s place in a
group to others in the group or of a group
to other groups

 Decision Making: changing and orderly
process through which choices related to
goals are made among identified possible
activities and individual or group actions
are taken to move toward the goal

Major Assumptions:
 Nursing is an observable behavior found in
the health care systems in society. The
goal of nursing “is to help individuals
maintain their health so they can function
in their roles”. Nursing is an interpersonal
process of action, reaction, interaction, and
transaction. Perceptions of a nurse and a
patient also influence the interpersonal
process.
 Individuals are spiritual beings
 Individuals have the capacity to think, to
know, to make choices, and to select
alternative courses of action
 Individuals have the ability through their
language and other symbols to record their
history and to preserve their culture
 Individuals are open systems in transaction
with the environment
 Individuals are unique and holistic and are of
intrinsic worth who are capable of rational
thinking and decision making in most
situations
 Individuals differ in their needs, wants, and
goals

 Health according to King, 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

 Environment is the background for human
interactions.