The Values and Beliefs of The Western Pennsylvania Hospital's Nursing Division incorporate concepts of Imogene King’s General Systems Framework (King, 1981).
All management and staff members of the Nursing Division are committed to the following values and beliefs with respect to human life and integrity:
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Every individual has the right to health and is expected to participate in decisions about his/her care. Health is “dynamic life experiences of a human being, which implies continuous adjustment to stressors in the internal and external environment through optimum use of one’s resources to achieve maximum potential for daily living” (King, 1981).
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The domain of nursing includes “promotion of health, maintenance and restoration of health, care of the sick and injured, and care of the dying” (King, 1981).
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Every individual is encouraged to maximize his/her potential and to strive for continuous improvement; pursuit of knowledge through research, evidenced-based practice, and professional resources is expected and supported; each individual is responsible for self-growth and development. Assisting others in their quest for excellence is expected.
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Professionalism is necessary in every thought, action, and interaction. We are positive thinkers, dependable, efficient, willing to negotiate, and accountable for our actions.
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The Nursing Division is composed of “human beings with prescribed roles and positions who use resources to accomplish personal and organizational goals” (King, 1981). “Decision making in the organization is a dynamic and systematic process by which goal-directed choice among perceived alternatives is made and acted upon by individuals or groups to answer a question or attain a goal” (King, 1981).
Imogene King's Theory Framework
Imogene King developed the “General Systems Framework” theory, which emphasizes the importance of the interaction between nurses and patients. King’s concept of nursing is “a process of actions, reaction, interaction, and transaction whereby nurses assist individuals of any age and socioeconomic group to meet their basic needs in performing activities of daily living and to cope with health and illness at some particular point in the life cycle."
King proposed three basic premises:
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Man as a reactive being is aware of other things, persons, and events in the environment. At various times this awareness makes the being respond to the environment based upon his perceptions, expectations, and needs.
Nurse and patient share information about their perceptions in the nursing situation. Through purposeful communication, they identify specific goals, problems, or concerns. They explore means to achieve a goal and agree to the means of the goal. When patients participate in goal-setting with professionals, they interact with nurses to move toward goal attainment in most situations.
References
Following are key references related to The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Nursing Division's theoretical framework, Professional Recognition Program (clinical ladder) structure, and Magnet Recognition Program educational materials.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program Website
Imogene King (her life and nursing theory): http://www.nurses.info/nursing_theory_person_king_imogene.htm
King, Imogene M., PhD: A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts, and Process. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1981.
Kramer, Marlene, RN, PhD, FAAN; Schmalenberg, Claudia, RN, MSN. Essentials of a Magnetic Work Environment. Nursing 2004. June 2004;34(6):50-54.
Magnet Recognition Program, Recognizing Excellence in Nursing Service. Health Care Organization Instructions and Application Process Manual, American Nurses Credentialing Center, Washington, DC 2003-2004 edition.
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