King’s Theory of Goal Attainment
Nursing theory embraces various viewpoints and nurses have the obligation to embrace some or use all of the theories based on the patient’s needs. However, it is important that the nurse selects the theory that offers the best, most respectful, and safest patient care. In the case of Mr. R., who has undergone surgery that resulted in temporary colostomy, the best theory that a nurse can apply is King’s Theory of Goal Attainment. The main assumption of this theory is that the nurse should help the patient until he has grown enough to attain particular goals in life. The need of Mr. R. at this point is to receive the right health information, which he can use and when he will use it. He also needs special care to heal his illness, especially when he is at the point where he is unable to help himself. Through interpersonal relationships, it is easy to attain this goal (Hood, 2014, p. 172). However, according to King’s theory, it is the role of both the nurse and the patient to ensure that the expected goal is achieved. It means that the nurse and Mr. R need to communicate with each other to pass the right information regarding how they will achieve the goals in a mutual manner.
King’s Theory of Goal Attainment ensures that the nurse focuses most of her attention on the patient such that he/she can provide care at any time of the day or night to Mr. R. to facilitate patient-centered care. In regards to Mr. R’s cultural preferences, the nurse should ensure that she understands the patient’s values, lifestyles, and health beliefs, which will promote the basis for special care.
Some of the legal and ethical standards that apply to this case are that the nurse stays true to the nursing values while treating Mr. R. She should have respect for Mr. R.’s cultural and personal beliefs regarding health, avoid doing things that would cause him more harm, always staying truthful to him, and been committed to her work to attain the goal in the right way.
References
Hood, L. J. (2014). Leddy & Pepper’s conceptual basis of professional nursing (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.