The Roy's Adaptation Model

For centuries the development of nursing knowledge has been influenced by numerous theorists and their respective theories. These theories have influenced, and continue to influence, nursing education, practice and research. (Johnson & Webber, 2005)

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast nursing theorists from the four categories which are identified by Meleis as: Needs, Interaction, Outcome and Caring. (Meleis, 2012, Chapter 9) I have chosen Faye Abdellah, Imogene King, Myra Levine and Jean Watson as the grand theorists that I would like to explore for this study in contrast and comparison. This decision was made, in part, due to the fact that all of these theorists were born and educated in the twentieth century and I felt that their theories might be more applicable to my nursing practice. The information contained in the tables was obtained from several sources in an

Nursing theories play an integral role in guiding practice, education, and research. Many different theoretical perspectives are maintained in the field of nursing due to the diversity of the field, no single theory is able to account for all nursing knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast two nursing theories that have produced a profound impact on nursing practice. The theories being compared are Dorothea Orem’s Self Care Deficit Nursing Theory (SCDNT) and Sister Callista Roy’s Adaptation Model (RAM). Both theorists have profoundly influenced nursing science, research, practice, and education. Similarly, both of these theories fall into the category of Grand nursing theories which are the most complex theory level and explain broad areas of the discipline, as well as being the broadest in scope (McEwen & Wills, 2014).

Williams, B. C. (2015). The Roper-Logan-Tierney model of nursing: A framework to complement the nursing process. Nursing, 45(3),

Roy believes nursing as a key player to help patients to develop coping mechanism and positive outcome from the constant stimuli exposure. Roy’s goal is for the patient to achieve adaptation leading to optimum health, well-being, quality of life, death with dignity, and finding in life by participating in their own care (Roy & Andrews, 1999.)

Imogene King was born in 1921in Iowa. Growing up, she dreamed of being a teacher but began nursing school to escape her small town life. She graduated with a diploma in nursing in 1945, then three years later earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education and worked as medical-surgical instructor and an assistant director at St. John’s School of Nursing until 1958, fulfilling her lifelong dream of being a teacher wither nursing career. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Nursing in 1957 and a doctorate in education in 1961 (Imogene King, 2011). King then became an associate professor at Loyola University in Chicago and formed a master’s degree program that was based on her nursing concepts, which later became the framework for her theory.

     Other major developments of the model in the 1999 textbook include: expanding the adaptive modes to include relational persons as well as individual persons and describing adaptation on three levels of integrated life processes, compensatory processes, and compromised processes. Roy has also outlined a structure for nursing knowledge development based on the Roy Adaptation Model and provided examples of research within this structure. Roy remains committed to developing knowledge for nursing practice and continually updating the Roy Model as a basis for this knowledge development.

Throughout nursing, there are many theories that nurses may come across and use. Calista Roy’s and Betty Neuman are two theorists that use two different types of models to encompasses the health, person, and the environment. Callista Roy uses a theory that promotes adaptation to the stimuli a person may encounter. Betty Neuman uses a theory that promotes equilibrium in a time where a person will encounter stress. These theories allow the nurse to bring a knowledge to learn more about the person and the factors that influence their health. Although with any theory there are different approaches in how the nursing plan is done, but with the patient in mind, it makes the difference in care that is given and allows for better outcomes for the patient.

The nursing theory consists of four major concepts including person, health, environment, and nursing. According to the Fundamentals of Nursing, these four concepts “… give nurses a comprehensive perspective that allows you to identify and treat patient’s health care needs at all levels and in all health care settings.” (Potter & Perry, 2009, p. 40) Florence Nightingale’s theory was one of the first models for nursing. The focus of this theory was that nursing consists of caring through the environment and helping the patient overcome their symptoms and changes in function related to their prevailing illness. It also focuses on the manipulation on the environment for the potential benefit of the patient. Florence “… had always seen to the heart of things- that the real nurse must be a dedicated being- that

In a world where there is constant change, and individuals are constantly attempting to adapt and cope with these changes, the human experiences and responses to this process is central to nursing interest, (Meleis, 2012). Today’s global health problems in addition to the politically volatile health care system, and the rising cost of health care seem insurmountable. As nurses,

Research in the professional practice of nursing was built upon a wide variety of theories that were presented by many well-known nursing theorists. Nursing theories that may be recognized today include Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory, Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory, Madeleine Leininger’s Cultural Care Theory, and Hildegard Peplau’s Interpersonal Process Theory. These individuals and their respective theories

This theory explains, describes, guides, and supports nursing practice. It gives language to the unspoken beliefs and perspectives of the nursing profession. This allows the nursing professionals to better envision, realize, and articulate their unique role in healthcare (Green & Robichaux, 2009). Human caring is the basis of therapeutic relationships between human beings (Wade & Kasper, 2006)

Learning goals I have set for myself during the course of this class are to gain an understanding and foundation of nursing theories, gain and understand the impacts of nursing practice as it relates the theories, and how to apply nursing theories to practices as appropriate and necessary. These goals were chosen because they will help set a foundation in nursing theories. Looking at the different topics to be discussed the two most interesting are (1) Theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality and (2) Nightingale’s Environmental Model (George, 2011). The two topics that are the least interesting are (1) Child Health Assessment Interaction Model and (2) Maternal Role Attainment/Becoming a Mother (George, 2011).

The Roy Adaptation Model (RAM) was developed by Sister Callista Roy who is still an actively working nursing theorist. Sister Callista Roy, PhD, RN, FAAN currently holds the position of professor and nursing theorist at Boston College Connell School of Nursing. Roy held master’s degrees in pediatric nursing and sociology at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and also held doctoral degree in sociology. She completed post doc in neuroscience at University of California, San Francisco (Boston College Connell School of Nursing, 2016). Roy is well-known and most highly recognized a living nurse theorist today in world widely. Roy has published RAM in 1970s, and then continuously collaborated with Dr. Heather Andrews to expand the RAM theory in 1986, 1991, 1999, and 2009 (Roy, 2009).

It is also used in diverse practice in global setting. It is used to guide practices to meet patient and family needs of patients in critical acute and chronic healthcare problems. It is a holistic approach that allows the nurse to conduct nursing practice base on nursing theory where by allowing individuals and families to meet their health needs that demonstrate optimum clinical nursing practice. It is a holistic approach in the care of the patient and through directing nursing education and clinical practice the Betty Neuman System Model is used. However, the effective conceptual transition among all levels of nursing education and is the basis for continuing education after graduation facilitating professional growth. It validates nursing roles and activities and in the nursing practice. It is a widely used framework used in nursing research that guides enhancement of nursing