A Theory of Adaptation, Research Paper Example

Working Definition

Adaptation is the ability of an individual or an organism to cope with change. In nursing practice, the terminology relates to the individual’s ability to adjust to new events and situations in the workplace. Nurses must constantly engage in adaptation in order to provide high quality service to their patients. Biological adaptation is defined as a trait that is maintained and has evolved through natural selection, enabling the organism to survive various environmental challenges (Rosenberg & Arp, 2009). Innate adaptation is said to be an automatic response to changes, while behavioral adaptation is taught. These concepts are most commonly used to discuss animal behavior in nature, but they can be used to explain human behavior as well. Humans are born, to an extent, with the ability to adapt to their surroundings, and other adaptations must be learned. Nurses must constantly implement behavioral adaptation to adjust to a fast-paced environment. Doing so effectively contributes to their skill and ability to confer benefit to their patients (Aram et al., 2009).

Model Case

Nurses are required to implement innate adaptation while working as students and further refine this ability by incorporating aspects of innate adaptation with behavioral adaptation (Saint, 2011). Prior to a formal nursing education, individuals may, for example, run from the sight of blood. Our innate senses indicate that blood is a sign of danger, so we become frightened. Educated nurses are taught to alter this natural fear of blood to a sense of urgency. The sight of blood means that immediate action and concentration are necessary because there is a patient in need. By defying our instincts, we are able to contribute to medical practice more effectively.

Responding immediately to patient needs instead of questioning them as a consequence of our instincts is a sign of professionalism in nursing. There are many problems currently plaguing the health care field that could be resolved by putting for efforts to respond to patients more quickly and regularly. Reprogramming reactions to take action when sighting blood instead of fleeing is an integral component of nursing practice because it will ensure that the medical professional responds to the patient immediately, instead of pausing to regain composure. Even a delay of seven seconds can reduce potential intervention opportunities for treatment.

The scenario of the new nurse highlights the concept of adaptation because it demonstrates an important aspect of the learning process that these trainees must accomplish. There is a new extent of behavioral adaptations that these students need to acquire through their training to replace the innate adaptation that currently takes control over the impulse response system. Thus, nursing adaptation is as important as biological adaptation, although the application of nursing adaptation is more relevant to health care practice.

Contrary Case

Many nursing students are aware of the requirements that they need to face as a trainee and are quick to implement the skills they have acquired. Some of these individuals will not fear the sight of blood and immediately engage in practice. It is apparent that these individuals do not need adapt to this precise situation because their sense of understanding makes a condition that is typically characteristic of experienced nurses innate. This contrasts the idea of biological adaptation because there is no need for an individual in this situation to evolve. Since he or she already has the skill necessary for success, the quality of care that this individual is expected to deliver will be high. Thus, this situation lacks an understanding of biological adaptation, although innate adaptation is present.

Additional Case Characteristics

It is important to consider that nurse trainees have an experience gap compared to nurses with advanced degrees and more years of experience. Thus, innate adaptation will have a more significant impact on their actions (Hutcheon, 2012). While the example of a fear of blood was provided above, other issues that can hinder a trainee include uncertainty regarding medical information, an inability to quickly make ethical decisions, and more. It is necessary for nurse supervisors to help these individuals cope with a new decision making process through learned behavior.

Individuals with a greater degree of experience than these trainees have already incorporated learned behavior into their practices (Silverstein & Nunn, 2008). Thus, training programs should emphasize the learning of this behavior to effectively reduce patient waiting time and maximize the time that each medical professional provides to his or her patient. Doing so will allow the quality of care delivered to increase significantly and will contribute to a decreased mortality rate in addition to a decrease readmission rate. It is beneficial for health care organizations to determine how they can benefit by implementing an understanding of adaptation into their training programs. Nursing adaptation is one way to ensure that employees are meeting institutional expectations. Furthermore, this program will establish means by which quality improvement initiatives could be achieved. Whether the nurse is a new trainee or has been working at the institution for several years, there are always new behaviors and protocols to learn.

References

Alligood, M. R. (2014). Nursing theorists and their work. St. Louis, Missouri : Elsevier

Aram, E., Baxter, R., & Nutkevitch, A. (2009). Adaptation and innovation: Theory, design and role-taking in group relations conferences and their applications. London: Karnac.

Basavanthappa, B. T. (2007). Nursing theories. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers.

Hutcheon L., (2012). A Theory of Adaptation. London: Routledge

Kim, H. S., & Kollak, I. (2006). Nursing theories: Conceptual & philosophical foundations. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.

Meleis, A. I. (2011). Theoretical nursing: Development and progress. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Nicklas, P., & Lindner, O. (2012). Adaptation and cultural appropriation: Literature, film, and the arts. Berlin [etc.: De Gruyter.

Rosenberg, A., & Arp, R. (2009). Philosophy of biology: An anthology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Saint, J. J. (2011). Adaptation theories. Maastricht: Jan van Eyck Academie.

Silverstein, A., & Nunn, L. S. (2008). Adaptation. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books.