Page 485 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

452 n ROy ADAPTATION MODEl

the human being and environment; the environ- received externally from the environment
ment is infinite—it extends to the universe and (external stimuli) and internally from within
R beyond; reality is as it appears—it is constructed; the self (internal stimuli). These stimuli are
energy is matter is energy; the human being can classified as focal, contextual, or residual.
choose to engage in change. Rogers defined four The stimuli immediately confronting the
postulates as the basis of her theory: energy person are called focal stimuli. All other
fields—in Rogers’s world we are energy fields, stimuli in the situation that contribute to the
as is everything around us. She uses the term effect of the focal stimuli are called contex-
“unitary” to describe the indivisible and irre- tual stimuli. Stimuli whose effects on the
ducible nature of the human being–environ- given situation are unclear are called resid-
ment interaction. Openness—an attribute of ual stimuli (Roy & Andrews, 1999).
all energy fields—a constant mutual interac- The goal of nursing is “the promotion of
tion and flow, as opposed to a cause and effect adaptation in each of the four modes, thereby
relationship. Pattern—the manifestation of contributing to the person’s health, qual-
energy fields experienced and known by all ity of life, and dying with dignity” (Roy &
senses. Pandimensionality—the boundless- Andrews, 1999, p. 55). Roy defines health as
ness of the universe, without spatial or lin- “a state and a process of being and becom-
ear limits. Furthermore, Rogers proposed ing an integrated and whole person” (Roy
three principles of homeodynamics: helicy— & Andrews, 1999, p. 54). In essence, health
continuous, nonrepetitive, and innovative reflects the adaptation of the individual’s
patterning (moving forward/diversifying). adaptive systems in an ever-changing envi-
Resonancy—patterning which changes from ronment. Within the Roy adaptation model,
lower to higher frequency (responsiveness— nursing interventions are conceptualized as
increasing vibration). Integrality—the contin- the management or manipulation of stimuli
uous mutual process between person and (Roy & Andrews, 1999).
environment (feeling “at one” with the uni- The elements and assumptions of the
verse). Martha Rogers epitomized her theory: Roy adaptation model provide a perspective
open, constantly changing, diverse, thinking for nursing research by suggesting what phe-
without boundaries, and resonating to her nomena to study, identifying the research
world, her profession, and the future. questions, and identifying appropriate meth-
ods of inquiry. The distinctive nature of
John Phillips the research question is related to basic life
Updated by Elaine K. Shimono processes and patterns, coping with health
and illness, and enhancing adaptive coping.
Multiple methods are appropriate when con-
ducting research based on the Roy adapta-
Roy adaptation model tion model (Roy & Andrews, 1999).
Numerous researchers have used the
Roy adaptation model as the conceptual
The Roy adaptation model for nursing framework for research. Some studies used
defines a person as a holistic adaptive sys- the model in the development of data collec-
tem that is in constant interaction with the tion instruments within the four adaptive
environment (Roy & Andrews, 1999). As a models, whereas other studies used the four
holistic adaptive system, the person can be adaptive modes as a framework for data anal-
described as a set of interrelated arts with ysis. Chiou (2000) conducted a meta-analysis
inputs, control and feedback processes, and of nine empirical studies based on Roy’s
outputs functioning as a whole for some Adaptation Model to determine the mag-
purpose. Inputs for the system are stimuli nitude of the interrelationships of the four