Concept analysis: adaptation reports examples

Nurs. 607

Introduction
Adaptation refers to a general process used by people, animals, plants, and the biological organisms living in the atmosphere. As change in nature is a constant process, one must learn to adapt to the change of the environment in order for survival. Adaptation to change is essential to the evolution of life. The evolution is an ever-going process that brings changes within the environment. From the moment we are conceived and take birth in this world, we are constantly adapting to certain forms of evolution (birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and middle aged adulthood) and advancing through different stages of life. Not only do we adapt to various physical alterations, we also modify our behaviors in accordance with the changes taking place in the atmosphere. This paper will analyze different forms of adaptation, both behavioral and physical, and explore the utilization of adaptation in our everyday lives.

The Significance of the Concept of Adaptation to My Practice and Nursing

In nursing, the technology and medical practices are constantly evolving. Nurses embody myriads of changes throughout their careers. From being a regular student who enters a nursing school, we are to change and adapt ourselves to different ways of thinking. We apply the knowledge that we gain from the nursing school to the actual practice as a registered nurse. We mature in our practice as a registered nurse by going through different situations like attending seminars, completing CBL’ and renewing certifications. These changes that take place in a nurse’s life are based on the quality of patient and family care. The patient should be seen as a total bio-psychosocial being who endures constant change in his environment and lifespan. The nursing professional can use the concept of adaptation by showing his or her patients effective coping mechanisms at the time of loss or illness. Adaptation could also be used in various forms of treatment, which may appear unconventional in traditional medical practice.

Uses and Definition of the Concept of Adaptation

The Webster’s Dictionary describes adaptation as a change in behavior that makes it easier to live in a particular place that is going through constant changes or a change in something that serves a better purpose. The words synonymously used for the word ‘ adapt’ are fit, accommodate, suite, reconcile, modify, rework, convert, and adjust. The overall process of adaptation is found in numerous ways in life. The human body adapts to its surroundings through different means. The eye adjusts itself to variations in the intensity of light. Fever is used to kill off bacteria by producing a hot environment that is not conducive to bacterial growth. In Biology, adaptation is a process in which a species of animal or plant becomes acquainted with its environment through natural selection and heritable traits. Each species must use its genetic and physical structure and adapt or modify its means of defense against certain elements in the environment. For example, a frog uses its defensive mechanism of changing the color of skin or appearing bigger to intimidate the predators in adaptation to its surroundings. The bill of a bird and the fur of a bear or lion are all structural adaptations that are used within their habitat to further their safety within the ecosystem.
The concept of adaptation is used in various disciplines across the world. The Interpersonal Adaptation Theory is used to view the modification of one’s behavior to better suit his communication partner. According to C. L. Toma (2014), Interpersonal adaptation begins with a combination of expectations, requirements and desires that can be used to effectively communicate with one’s peers. As per this theory of adaptation, while dealing with situations requiring interaction, a person may either adopt a strategic approach or a goal-oriented approach with the help of both communication and psychology.
Adaptation to various climate changes is another discipline frequently used for the benefit of the environment. The earth is constantly undergoing major alterations such as increasing temperatures, increased rainfall, and more recurring natural disasters like floods, wildfires, and earthquakes. With the constant changes in climate, adaptation is a major adjustment that assists the ecosystem and human civilizations in planning for the future. Adaptation provides a proper framework for future weather forecasts or possible disasters. Living organisms, within an ecosystem, make adjustments to the climate changes through migration and make behavioral changes to accommodate well to their surroundings.
As constant evolution of different innovative ideas is in place in the business world, an entrepreneur of a business needs to be able to adapt to changes through a series of internal factors. There are many factors, including constantly evolving technologies, emerging competition, customer demands, and a broader shift in the business environment, which may affect and force the entrepreneurs to alter their ways of business. The discipline of adaptation in a business setting is very important in order to succeed and survive amidst the challenges of the workplace. As the entrepreneurs progress in their environment, they must be willing to reassess their needs and goals throughout their journey. Few ways of adapting in an ever-changing business world may include making an assessment of the evolving needs and demands of the customers, partnering with strong competitors and acquiring more knowledge and experience on the product being sold.

Attributes of the Concept

The defining attribute of an adaptation process refers to a means of survival within a changing event. Survival, homeostasis, modification, and adjustment are the recurring attributes of the concept of adaptation. Many organisms undergoing adaptation make efforts to compensate for the change. It is a process that forms in the midst of a period of either chaos or substantial alteration. Adaptation also encompasses a natural attribute within the human body and its natural environment. Within a single organism, adaptation can be encompassed by metamorphosis, physiology, and psychiatric behavior. Adaptation may occur in the short or long term periods. Both the short and long term forms of adaptation are either behavioral or physiological or structural. Some examples of the short-term adaptation would be adaptations to interpersonal communication or climate change. The long term adaptation may possess the factors of anatomy, physiology and behavior.
As stated before, the process of adaptation usually occurs during a period of commotion or drastic change. When an environment is in the process of renovation or change, the atmosphere or person usually finds alternative solutions that would help adapt, leading to positive consequences. A high school graduate learns to adapt to a new college environment, and thus ends up making lifelong friendships with new peers, building up a new system of studying college courses, and participating in numerous activities on campus.

Adaptation Case Scenarios

There are numerous structural and behavioral model cases featuring the attributes of adaptation. Many people may undergo a number of behavioral forms of adaptation and may not even be aware of it. Plants and animals survive within the ecosystem through various physical or structural forms of adaptation. Adaptation yields a beneficial effect that assists organisms in adjusting and altering their original form into an improved arrangement.

Model Case Scenario

Danny, a 13 year old teenager, both of whose parents were afflicted with HIV, contracted the disease through his ailing mother’s body fluids while taking care of her. When he first discovered that he had HIV, he developed emotions of fear, anger, and indifference. His parents helped him through his emotions and informed him that living with HIV is not a death sentence. With the help and support from his parents, he began to get accustomed to living with HIV. He shared the information about his disease with his teachers and the school nurse, and his parents arranged a schedule with the school nurse to help Danny through his daily medications. He continued to make scheduled clinic visits and shared a great rapport with his pediatrician. Danny also sought the help of a psychiatrist, who helped him further to adjust to his health status. Danny became more interactive with his peers again and even shared the information of his ailment with some of his closest friends. Danny’s case is a model case that shows that in times of a health crisis, we must look within ourselves and change the way we think about a prospective outcome. Danny sought internal and external help through his parents and psychiatrist and became fully aware of his health status. He learned to adapt to his new health status and will live a health-conscious life with adequate support received from his friends and family.
A rat snake will remain motionless and will avoid confrontation whenever possible. Although they are non-venomous, they will bite the offender if they feel threatened. Rat snakes are located within the Eastern and Midwestern states that expose them to various temperature fluctuations and surroundings. In order to survive and hunt their prey, the colors of their skin may become naturally altered, depending on the specific environment or surrounding. This assists the snakes in adapting to the environment and prevents the humans and animal predators from spotting them. These rat snakes utilize structural adaptation by changing the color of their skin. This possesses a physiological attribute in which their exterior appearance is instrumental for their survival through various weather changes and tortuous environment. This is another example of a model case of adaptation through natural selection.

Borderline Case Scenario

Bethanny is a 16 year old female whose parents got divorced recently. She has grown up knowing that her parents loved each other, and hence, the divorce appeared too sudden and shocking for her. Her father moved out, leaving her and her sister behind to live with their mother. At the beginning of the divorce, Bethanny would frequently ask questions to her mom about the reasons that led to divorce and would often be angry with both the parents. As time progressed, she began to adjust to her living situations with her mom and began to visit her father periodically. Although she was getting used to seeing her father at specific times, she began to feel an empty void whenever she thought of her parents’ divorce. She began to hide in a shell, becoming introvert as days passed by and avoided her peers. She also began to rebel against her mother, and constantly argued with her mother and sister. This is an example of a borderline case in which Bethanny was adapting to her parent’s co-parenting style and their separate living situations, but still had emotional issues that she did not seek help for. Her behavior did not fully adapt to her parent’s divorce.

Related Case Scenario

Josh is a 16 year old student who one day came home from school with a running nose, watery eyes and sore throat. He went to the hospital, and upon initial assessment, the nurse saw that his body temperature was 99F, which was more than the normal body temperature. However, Josh was not given any fever medication, but was prescribed anti-histamine. He took anti-histamine and soon started feeling better, but the body temperature remained 99 F. It happened because his body experienced an altered immune process that was trying to kill the bacterial attack. Increased temperature is not a sign of malfunction; rather it is an adaptation of the body to kill bacteria (Thompson, 2008). Increase in body temperature is a related adaptation and not direct.

Contrary Case Scenario

Michelle is a 24 year old woman, who was attacked and sexually assaulted while on her way home from work. Upon the incident, she was taken to the hospital where it was found out that she sustained physical bruises on her arms, legs and genital area in the attack and was visibly traumatized emotionally. A series of tests for STD and a rape kit were performed on her to rule out the chances of any sexually contracting disease. A few days later, her test results came, and it was learned that Michelle had contracted genital herpes from her attacker. Michelle became angry at the world and began to question her existence. She became agoraphobic (fear of the outside world or interacting with people). She missed so many days at work that she eventually lost her job. She suffered from anxiety attacks whenever she saw a man who resembled her attacker and always lived in constant panic and fear for her life. Michelle’s case is a classic contrary case in which she did not recover well from her attack. She began to neglect the normal things that held meaning to her life prior to the attack such as her job and friends. She never sought help through support groups or family members who may have helped her in dealing with the trauma. She took an opposite route of coping and never truly adapted to her newly developed cautious mindset. Michelle possessed an unaltered train of thought in which she never looked at the silver lining of the situation.

Conclusion

Adaptation is a way of survival, both mentally and physically. It helps living organisms maintain homeostasis in a constantly changing universe. Two major forms of adaptation that are in constant use are behavioral and physical adaptations. These can be used either separately or in conjunction to provide an optimal result within the environment. Adapting to a shifting milieu is a part of life for all the living organisms. Plants and animal lives would not be as evolved as it is today without the consistent use of adaptation. We as human beings use a form of adaptation in our social and physical lives, consciously or subconsciously, that help us to succeed in our everyday lives. We must continue to maneuver through the periods of chaos or change in order to reach our fullest potential in life. The change should be seen as a beneficial subject and should be embraced through varying forms of adaptation.

References

Mani, D. (2014). How Entrepreneurs Adapt to Change. Retrieved on 10th October 2014 from
Thompson, H. J. (2008). Fever: a concept analysis. Retrieved on 10th October 2014 from
Toma, C. L. (2014). Towards Conceptual Convergence: An Examination of Interpersonal Adaptation. Retrieved on 10th October 2014 from
US Environmental Protection Agency (2014). Climate Change: Basic Information. Retrieved on 10th October 2014 from