King's theory of goal attainment as a framework for managed care implementation in a hospital setting.

Implementation of nursing conceptual frameworks and theories in practice settings is essential to foster the growth and advancement of the discipline of nursing. Over the past several decades nurse educators, administrators, and clinicians have often seemed to function in isolation. Educators developed conceptual models and theories, but these frameworks were infrequently applied in practice settings. In addition, administrators used management theories as a framework for nursing practice in institutional settings, while clinicians were left to utilize the medical model and theories from other disciplines as a base to guide practice. This article focuses on how King's theory of goal attainment can serve as a nursing framework for managed care.