In remembrance of Imogene M. King, January 30, 1923 - December 24, 2007: Imogene, a pioneer and dear colleague
Article Outline
Nursing lost one of its renowned leaders on Christmas Eve, 2007, a month shy of her anticipated 85th birthday celebration. At the age of 84, Imogene left us in awe.
Because this great one touched so many, so personally, their reflections are the truest celebration of Imogene's life:
“Imogene was a great friend and educator.”
“She was so down to earth—and made theory come to life. She reached out to us.”
“It was an honor to meet Dr. King in 2007 at the Evidence-based Practice conference. I remember how people gathered around her and were in awe.”
“Dr. King's passion, energy, clear-thinking, indomitable spirit and enthusiasm for life permeated her entire being.”
“She took me under her wing…”
“She was a great lady, truly a nursing icon.”
Indeed, anyone who met Imogene felt “reunited” with a long-standing colleague and shining-star mentor, even though it was their first meeting. And, upon a second meeting, we would be braced for her stimulating questions that would drive our thinking one step further.
Through her stellar career, Dr. King fostered scientific theory and knowledge development in nursing. Her intellectual pursuits set the course for nurse educators, practitioners, and nurse researchers. Adoption of King's framework and theory into clinical settings is testimony to the relevance of her work in the care that nurses give. The contextual factors in King's professional life that contributed to nursing knowledge emphasized mentorship, institutional setting, scientific collegiality, freedom of ideas, availability of resources and the ability to avoid over-commitment.
She is recognized as one of the early nurse theorists—and one who, until her death, remained engaged in laying foundations for nursing science. Among her publications are Toward a Theory for Nursing (1971)1 and A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts and Process (1981)2 which was translated into Japanese, Spanish and German, and Curriculum and Instruction in Nursing (1986).3 Her writings continued in chapters in Frey and Seiloff's 1995 Advancing King's Systems Framework and Theory of Nursing4 and their 2007 Middle Range Theory Using King's Conceptual Systems.5
Dr. King's visionary leadership and expertise in theory and education are evident in her service at Loyola University in Chicago, The Ohio State University, Missouri Nurses Association, Illinois Nurses Association, Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Manpower, and the Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. She was professor and professor emeritus at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, served on the advisory board of the University of Tampa Department of Nursing and mentored others to implement her theory at Tampa General Hospital. She served as secretary and past president of the Florida Nurses Foundation and served on the Florida Nurses Association (FNA) and the FNA District IV (Tampa) boards.6
Imogene never concluded her career. With a twinkle in her eye, she spoke of having retired several times—but was “still at it!” Even at the end, she was engaged in development of today's evidence-based practice theory.
Among her deserved honors and awards were the 1989 Elizabeth Russell Belford Founders Award for Excellence in Education (STTI) and the 1996 Jessie Scott Award from the American Nurses Association. She was a founding Virginia Henderson Fellow (Sigma Theta Tau International) and is honored in the “Celebration of Leadership” Garden. Imogene was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame, the Florida Nurses Association (FNA) Hall of Fame, and the Teachers College, Columbia University Hall of Fame. In 2005, she was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing.
As we remember our greats, Imogene's significant achievements attract continuing honors and acknowledgement. The Florida Nurses Foundation established the Imogene M. King Research Grant in her honor in 2003. Because Dr. King's final work focused on evidence-based practice and she graced us with her stimulating dialogue at evidence-based practice (EBP) conferences, the 2008 Summer Institute on Evidence-Based Practice (UT Health Science Center and the 2008 Florida Magnet Nursing Research Conferences have been dedicated.) Florida Magnet Nursing Research Conference have been dedicated to the memory of this grand person … this grand nurse … this grand colleague.
Many of us grew up with this nursing legend in our midst during our entire professional life. Her early contributions launched us and her continuing contributions sustained our own careers—and will continue to shape the careers of the nurses who will follow.
We are saddened that Imogene is gone from our earthly lives. At the same time, her monumental contribution to our profession lives on. We were fortunate to have such a prolific visionary among us for so long. The nursing community and, indeed, the world were touched by the deep passion this special person had for nursing, her generous spirit, and her ever-present energy.
At the loss of this cherished friend and colleague, Pat Quigley offered these comforting words: “May we burn a candle for the light that Imogene shined on us with her smile, laughter, knowledge, and passion for each day. We shared in our love for her. Combining religion and science through nursing, her inspired voice was never weak—but strong with passion and conviction. For Imogene, a devout Catholic and stellar theoretician, she believed that through God flowed all solace, welfare, and protection. Imogene is forever in our hearts and memories as we celebrate her life.” Let us rise to the occasion as we remember—she considered us all pioneering colleagues.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
With acknowledgement of thoughts of others as they reflected on Dr. King's life and, in particular, Patricia Quigley, PHD, MPH, ARNP, CRRN, FAAN.
References
- . Toward a Theory for Nursing: General Concepts of Human Behavior. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 1971;
- . A Theory for Nursing; Systems, Concepts, Process. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 1981;
- . Curriculum and Instruction in Nursing: Concepts and Process. Norwalk, CT: Appleton-Century-crofts; 1986;
- In: Frey MA, Sieloff CL editor. Advancing King's Systems Framework and Theory of Nursing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 1995;
- In: Sieloff CL, Frey MA editor. Middle Range Theory Development using King's Conceptual Systems. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company; 2007;
- . Imogene King 1923- pp. 164-167. In: Bullough VL, Sentz L editor. American Nursing: A biographical Dictionary Vol 3. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company; 2000;
PII: S0029-6554(08)00047-X
doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2008.02.003
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