adaptation model, (in nursing) a conceptual framework that focuses on the patient as an adaptive system, one in which nursing intervention is required when a deficit develops in the patient’s ability to cope with the internal and external demands of the environment. These demands are classified into four groups: physiological needs, the need for a positive self-concept, the need to perform social roles, and the need to balance dependence and independence. The nurse assesses the patient’s maladaptive response and identifies the kind of demand that is causing the problem. Nursing care is planned to promote adaptive responses for coping successfully with the current stress on the patient’s well-being. This model, first proposed by Sister Callista Roy, is frequently used as a conceptual framework for programs of nursing education.
