Imogene King

Imogene King (January 30, 1923 – December 24, 2007) was a pioneer of nursing theory development. Her interacting systems theory of nursing and her theory of goal attainment have been included in every major nursing theory text. These theories are taught to thousands of nursing students, form the basis of nursing education programs, and are implemented in a variety of service settings.

Biography Imogene Eva Martina King was born on January 30, 1923, in West Point, Iowa, the youngest of three children. King originally wanted to be a teacher, but her uncle, a doctor, offered her the opportunity to study nursing. To escape small-town life, she accepted.

Academic appointments King then became an assistant professor at Loyola University Chicago, also studying statistics, research and computer science. While at Loyola, she developed a master's program based on her theory that later formed the framework for her model of care. She published her first theoretical approach in 1964 in the Journal of Nursing Science.

In 1981 King published her text, A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts, Process, in which King presents her complete theory.

Personal life She remained in Tampa until her retirement in 1990. 2004: Hall of Fame Inductee, American Nurses Association Honorary Doctorate from Southern Illinois University 1996: Jessie M. Scott Award of the American Nurses Association 1973: Book of the Year award, American Journal of Nursing

Selected publications

King, I. M. (1990). Health as the goal for nursing. Nursing Science Quarterly, 3(3), 123-128. King, I. M. (1992). King's theory of goal attainment. Nursing Science Quarterly, 5(1), 19-26. King, I. M. (1994). Quality of life and goal attainment. Nursing Science Quarterly, 7(1), 29-32. King, I. M. (1997). King's theory of goal attainment in practice. Nursing Science Quarterly, 10(4), 180-185. King, I. M. (1999). A theory of goal attainment: Philosophical and ethical implications. Nursing Science Quarterly, 12(4), 292-296. King, I. M. (2007). King's conceptual system, theory of goal attainment, and transaction process in the 21st century. Nursing Science Quarterly, 20(2), 109-111.