Imogene M. King’s contribution can not be overestimated, as her works transformed nursing from a craft into a scientific field of knowledge. The goal attainment theory played a crucial role in the evolution of nursing as it expanded the basis for interactions between nurses, their patients, and the healthcare system (Sieloff & Messmer, 2017). King placed emphasis on the partnership between all stakeholders of a patient’s wellbeing, and her theory serves as a foundation for many practices that improve the quality of care (Sieloff & Messmer, 2017). I find this goal-oriented approach simultaneously easy and crucial to follow. In acute care nursing, patient-nurse interactions serve as a vital source of medically relevant information for the basis of patient treatment. Nurses are taught not only to carry out doctor’s orders and perform medical procedures but also to work with patients to improve their wellbeing.
Betty Neuman is another nursing theorist whose impact on modern practices remains invaluable. Not only did Neuman advance a humane mental health nursing approach, but they also developed the systems model (Lawson, 2017). This model views a patient’s organism as a system that strives to stay in balance (Lawson, 2017). Neuman’s contribution to nursing theories expands on the role of a nurse, adding the fact that keeping a patient’s organism in balance is one of the primary goals of healthcare (Lawson, 2017). This approach is actively used in nursing practice, especially in mental health facilities (Lawson, 2017). In acute care, nurses aim to achieve the maximum possible stability for the systems of their patients by eliminating primary factors that can adversely affect them.
Nursing has undergone many changes throughout the years, which shaped it into one of the most complex and highly sought-after professions. This profession accumulates new knowledge at a rapid pace, which leads to the need for continuous education of nursing personnel. Nowadays, to become a registered nurse, a person needs to obtain a higher education degree. These intricate details added by numerous theorists over the past century led to a significant increase in the quality of care and well-being of all people.
References
Lawson, T. G. (2017). Systems model. In M. R. Alligood (Ed.), Nursing theorists and their work (8th ed., pp. 281-302). Elsevier.
Sieloff, C. L., & Messmer, P. R. (2017). Conceptual system and middle-range theory of goal attainment. In M. R. Alligood (Ed.), Nursing theorists and their work (8th ed., pp. 258-280). Elsevier.