Callista Roy facts for kids

Sister Callista Roy, born on October 14, 1939, is an American nun, nurse, and professor. She is famous for developing the Adaptation Model of Nursing. This model helps nurses understand how people deal with changes in their health and life. Sister Callista taught nursing at Boston College for many years before she retired in 2017. In 2007, she was honored as a "Living Legend" by the American Academy of Nursing.

Her Journey in Education

Sister Callista Roy started her education at Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School. She then went to Mount St. Mary's College, where she earned her first degree in nursing in 1963. After that, she continued her studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She received a master's degree in nursing from UCLA in 1966.

She didn't stop there! Sister Callista also earned two more degrees from UCLA, a master's and a doctorate, both in sociology. Sociology is the study of how people live together in groups and societies. Later, she did special research in neuroscience nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. Because of her important work, she has received four special honorary doctorates.

Her Career as a Nurse and Teacher

Sister Callista Roy was a Professor and Nursing Theorist at Boston College's Connell School of Nursing. A nursing theorist is someone who creates ideas and frameworks to guide nursing practice. In 1991, she started a group called the Boston Based Adaptation Research in Nursing Society (BBARNS). This group later changed its name to the Roy Adaptation Association.

She has traveled all over the United States and to more than 30 other countries to share her ideas. Towards the end of her teaching career, she studied how regular people, called "lay study partners," could help others recover from mild head injuries. She retired from Boston College in 2017 and moved back to California.

Sister Callista Roy is also a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. This is a group of Catholic nuns who dedicate their lives to serving others.

Understanding the Roy Adaptation Model

Sister Callista Roy developed her Adaptation Model of Nursing during her graduate studies. Her teacher, Dorothy E. Johnson, encouraged her to create a way of thinking about nursing. The model was first shared with the public in 1970.

In this model, people (whether alone or in groups) are seen as complete systems that can adapt. The environment includes everything around a person, both inside and outside their body. Health means being in a good, whole condition. The main goal of nursing, according to Roy, is to help people adapt in ways that support their overall health.

The model suggests four ways people adapt to changes:

• Physiologic-physical: How your body works and responds.
• Self-concept group identity: How you see yourself and your place in a group.
• Role function: How you act in different roles, like being a student or a friend.
• Interdependence: How you relate to and depend on others.

Nurses can use Roy's model by following steps similar to the traditional nursing process. These steps include checking how a patient is behaving, understanding what is causing their behavior, figuring out what nursing care is needed, setting goals, giving care, and then seeing if the care worked.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Sister Callista Roy has received many honors for her important work:

• 2006: She received the Distinguished Teaching Award from Boston College.
• 2007: She was named a "Living Legend" by the American Academy of Nursing. This is a very high honor for nurses who have made a big difference.
• 2010: She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau's Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.
• 2011: She received the Mentor Award from the Sigma Theta Tau Society.

Her Published Works

Sister Callista Roy has written many articles and books about her nursing model and other topics. Here are a few examples of her writings:

• Roy, C. (2009). "Assessment and the Roy Adaptation Model", The Japanese Nursing Journal, 29(11), 5-7.
• Roy, C. (2008). "Adversity and theory: The broad picture", Nursing Science Quarterly, 21(2), 138-139.
• Whittemore, R. & Roy, C. (2002). "Adapting to Diabetes Mellitus: A Theory Synthesis", Nursing Science Quarterly, 15(4), 311-317.

See also

In Spanish: Callista Roy para niños

• List of Living Legends of the American Academy of Nursing