Goal setting is a common practice in rehabilitation, yet there
is a paucity of literature exploring patients' perceptions of their
roles in this process. This study was conducted using a qualitative
descriptive methodology to explore patients' perceptions of their
roles in setting goals in a spinal cord injury regional rehabilitation
program. Imogene King's theory of goal attainment was used to
frame the study. Data were collected through interviews and
analyzed using a content analysis. The results revealed four themes:
Visioning, Redefining, Brainstorming, and Rebuilding. Participants
(n=13) envisioned their roles as setting an overarching priority goal,
defining detailed rehabilitation goals, sharing knowledge with the team, and rebuilding skills to attain goals. Implications for nursing
practice include the need to understand patients' experiences and
perceptions, share knowledge, and support effective communication
to promote collaborative goal setting. A need to enhance health
professionals' education to fully understand factors infiuencing
patients' abilities to set rehabilitation goals, and future research
in methods to promote patients' engagement in goal setting was
also clearly indicated.