Theory Application

Roy’s Adaptation Model is a prominent nursing theory which takes a holistic approach by viewing human beings as biopsychosocial adaptive systems. Change, illness, and disease are believed to be regular parts of the human lifecycle, and therefore, the focus is on a person’s ability to effectively create an integrated state of being and adapt to various environmental stimuli. To create an integrated state, individuals must leverage their innate and acquired biological, psychological, or social adaptive mechanisms within the four adaptive modes: physiological, self-concept, role function, and interdependence (Friberg, 2024). 

Roy’s Adaptation Model has been chosen because of a holistic-focus on the unique individual and the acknowledgement that outcomes are a result of multiple factors or stimuli. In addition, Roy’s Adaptation Model most closely aligns with the systems model of burnout and well-being published in The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity (2021). “These [stimuli] factors are mediated by individual factors, such as personality, coping strategies, resilience, and social support, and ultimately impact the health and well-being of clinicians” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021, pp. 304). 

Roy’s Adaptation Model encourages Angelina to change her stimuli and develop effective coping mechanisms so each adaptive mode may respond in an integrated way to environmental stimuli. Each nursing intervention should focus on helping Angelina develop healthy adaptive mechanisms to environmental stimuli. In a study done by Xin et al. (2024), a nurse’s perceived professional value and career calling are mediating factors against burnout and turnover intention. When Angelin’s patients die, despite her care, it likely leads to lower professional value, burnout and PTSD. The way Angelina views her role and identity fits into the self-concept and role function adaptive modes. By building Angelina’s professional value and career calling, she develops an effective coping mechanism in response to the environmental stimuli.