Background
The therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is defined as a relationship based on mutual trust and respect, the nurturing of hope, and assisting with the fulfillment of your patient 's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through your knowledge and skill as a nurse (Senn, 2103). …show more content…
She received a bachelor science in nursing education and a master of science in nursing from St. Louis University (McEwen & Wills, 2014). King held a variety of floor nursing, educational, research and administrative positions throughout her career. The first book published by King was in 1971 entitled “Toward a theory of nursing” (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The theory discussed in this paper is titled Theory of Goal Attainment, published in 1980, and most concepts are taken from the most current addition, 1995, which offered more detailed explanation of the theory framework (McEwen & Wills, 2014). King’s work has enhanced nursing education and is the framework for several baccalaureate programs throughout the …show more content…
Khowaja (2006) utilized the Goal Attainment theory to explore the impact of the implementation of a clinical pathway for a transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) procedure on the clinical cost, quality and patient satisfaction. The key concept is communication and clinical pathways are important for the healthcare team members to communicate effectively to each other and their patients. This quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group study found clinical pathways significantly improved completed documentation, decreased delayed consults, patient education and reduced post-operative complications. When applying King’s theory into the research process it is necessary for the nurse and patient to collaborate and have mutual agreed upon ideas in order to reach their goals. This strengthens the need for clinical pathways. The TURP clinical pathway reduces occurrences of complications, length of stay, costs, improving coordination between health care professionals, and improving patient and staff satisfaction. King 's theory provides direction for nursing practice by emphasizing the processes of multidisciplinary collaboration, communication, interaction, transaction and use of critical thinking. Nurses who interact with other systems will influence the health outcomes of the patients and their families during their