Goal Attainment Theory Analysis

Each of the four theorists, Dorothea Orem, Imogene King, Dorothy Johnson, and Jean Watson, share one common element, the overall well-being of the patient. From there the theorists start to differ with theories that are influenced by their own unique educational background, nursing specialties, and philosophy. Whether their focus was on needs, interactions, outcomes, or caring, each theorist developed a theory that can be implemented in many patient settings.
Dorothea Orem’s theory focuses on meeting the needs of patients and determining what role the nurse plays in achieving that goal. The theory relies heavily on the patient’s motivation and drive to learn to care for themselves and supports the belief that the patient is responsible for their own self-care. However, when illness and injury occur this can hinder the patient’s ability to perform self-care for themselves, either temporarily or permanently. In order to preserve the quality of life the nurse and/or family

Through my interactions with patients and by telling them their plan of care for the day I open a line of communication with them. For my particular unit, we receive a fair amount of post-surgical patients on a daily basis. For our post-surgical patients, one of the goals we want them to achieve is to be able to ambulate six hours after their surgery. I mention this when I explain to them their plan of care for that day. They verbalize understanding and may ask questions related to the task. I explain to them that early ambulation after surgery can benefit overall healing. I set a goal for them to achieve, such as walking two laps around nursing station. The patient verbalizes understanding and consents to the plan of care. This signifies a transaction that has happened between me (nurse) and the patient. Both parties discussed and agreed to the goal of ambulating six hours after