Adaptability: a personal resource for health.

Adaptation theories from the social and biological sciences have served well as building blocks for theory development in nursing. Recent consideration of the theories and their assumptions, however, has pointed to incongruencies with broadened conceptualizations of health and well-being. This paper reviews the development of stress, adaptation, and coping theory, and identifies congruencies and inconsistencies with the mission of nursing. The concept of adaptability is presented as a personal resource for health and self-care, a positive force for change, and empowerment for growth.