Imogene King’s Theory of Goal Attainment was developed by Imogene King in the early 1960s. It describes a dynamic, interpersonal relationship in which a patient grows and develops to attain certain life goals. The theory explains that factors which can affect the attainment of goals are roles, stress, space, and time. In other words, the theory proposes that roles, stress, space, and time are the only factors that affect the attainment of a goal. 

The model has three interacting systems: personal, interpersonal, and social. Each of these systems has its own set of concepts. The concepts for the personal system are perception, self, growth and development, body image, space, and time. The concepts for the interpersonal system are interaction, communication, transaction, role, and stress. The concepts for the social system are organization, authority, power, status, and decision-making. Imogene King’s Theory of Goal Attainment

According to King, a human being refers to a social being who is rational and sentient. He or she has the ability to perceive, think, feel, choose, set goals, select means to achieve goals, and make decisions. He or she has three fundamental needs: the need for health information when it is needed and can be used; the need for care that seeks to prevent illness; and the need for care when he or she is unable to help him or herself. Imogene King’s Theory of Goal Attainment

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 resources to achieve maximum potential for daily living. Environment is the background for human interaction. It involves the internal and external environments. The internal environment transforms energy to enable a person to adjust to continuous external environment changes. The external environment involves formal and informal organizations. In this model, the nurse is part of the patient’s environment. APA