Guide to Dunphy’s Circle of Caring Model
A resource for Nurse Practitioner (NP) students on applying the Circle of Caring model to reflective essays, case studies, and clinical practice.
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Defining the Circle of Caring Model
The Circle of Caring Model is a nursing metaparadigm developed by Lynne M. Dunphy, Jill E. Winland-Brown, and others, specifically for Advanced Practice Nursing (APN).
It is a framework designed to guide the practice of Nurse Practitioners (NPs). It addresses a central challenge for NP students: how to integrate the art of caring with the science of medicine.
The model is visualized as a circle with Patient-Well-Being at its core. This core is sustained by seven interconnected virtues: Caring, Knowing, Patience, Humility, Courage, Compassion, and Advocacy. For students, this model is a common foundation for reflective essays and case study analyses.
The 7 Core Virtues of the Circle of Caring
To apply this model, you must first understand its seven key components and how they translate into clinical practice.
1. Caring
In this model, “caring” is not just an emotion; it is the overarching conscious, active process of engaging with a patient to promote their well-being. It is the framework that holds the other virtues. It is the doing of nursing, not just the feeling.
2. Knowing
“Knowing” is multi-faceted. It includes empirical knowing (the scientific evidence, or EBP) and personal knowing (knowing the patient as a unique individual, understanding their values and preferences). A key NP skill is balancing both.
3. Patience
This is the virtue of giving the patient time to heal, to speak, and to process information. It is the opposite of the rushed, task-oriented model of care and is essential for building a therapeutic relationship.
4. Humility
Humility is the virtue of recognizing one’s own limitations, both in knowledge and in understanding a patient’s experience. It includes cultural humility—the awareness that you cannot be an “expert” in another’s culture, but must remain open and respectful. 2024 research highlights this as vital for health equity.
5. Courage
This is moral courage. It is the willingness to “speak up” for a patient, to question a doctor’s order that seems wrong, to challenge a flawed system, or to have difficult conversations. It is the virtue that transforms compassion into action.
6. Compassion
This is the empathetic virtue of “suffering with” or feeling for the patient’s experience. It is the emotional resonance that motivates the act of caring. While related, it is distinct from the action of caring.
7. Advocacy
Advocacy is the culmination of the other virtues. It is the active process of defending a patient’s rights, supporting their autonomy, and ensuring their voice is heard within the complex healthcare system. As studies on patient advocacy show, this is a critical component of nursing practice.
Bridging Theory to Practice: Applying the Model
This model is not just a theory to memorize; it is a tool to be *used* in your academic and clinical work. This is the “how-to” for your assignment.
How to Use the Circle of Caring in a Reflective Essay
This is the most common assignment for this model.
1. Select a Reflective Framework: Use a model like Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, Action Plan) to structure your essay.
2. Describe the Experience: Briefly describe a clinical interaction or event.
3. Analyze with the Virtues: In your “Analysis” section, use the 7 virtues as your themes. Ask critical questions:
• “How did I demonstrate Knowing, both of the EBP and of the patient’s personal wishes?”
• “In what moment did I (or did I fail to) show Courage in patient advocacy?”
• “How did my demonstration of Patience build a therapeutic relationship, leading to better patient well-being?”
Balancing “Caring” with “Knowing” (EBP)
A major challenge for NP students is balancing the “caring” art with the “scientific” role. The Circle of Caring model demands both.
The virtue of “Knowing” is the bridge. It explicitly states that an NP must know the patient (personal) and the evidence (empirical).
A strong essay doesn’t just discuss feelings; it discusses how Compassion (a virtue) motivated the NP to research the best Evidence-Based Practice (an action) for their patient. As research shows, integrating EBP into nursing workflows is a key driver of positive patient outcomes.
How Our Experts Provide Support
This guide is a resource, but sometimes you need direct support for a graded assignment. Our academic writers can help you apply this and other nursing theories.
Model Reflective Essays
We can write a custom reflective essay based on your prompt, showing you exactly how to apply the Circle of Caring model to a clinical scenario, complete with scholarly sources.
Case Study Analysis
If you have a nursing case study, our writers can analyze it *through the lens* of this model, identifying where the NP demonstrated the 7 virtues.
Nursing Theory Comparisons
We can write a full research paper comparing the Circle of Caring to other models, such as those by Leininger, Watson, or Benner, for your nursing theory assignments.
Meet Your Nursing & Health Specialists
Our team includes writers with advanced degrees in scientific and social science fields. We match your assignment to an expert.
Stephen Kanyi, MSc (Biology)
Lead Research & EBP Specialist
Stephen’s MSc in Biology makes him our top expert for linking caring models to EBP. He can critique the scholarly evidence for caring and analyze the “Knowing” component of the model.
Simon Njeri, MA (Econ & Sociology)
Health Sociology & Ethics Specialist
Simon’s background is perfect for analyzing the sociological and ethical virtues of the model, such as Advocacy, Humility, and Courage. He handles assignments on patient-centered care and health policy.
Benson Muthuri, MBA
Healthcare Management Specialist
Benson handles reflections from a healthcare leadership perspective. He can write on how models like the Circle of Caring impact patient satisfaction scores (HCAHPS) and provider burnout.
Eric Tatua, BSc
Research & Data Specialist
Eric’s technical background is ideal for critiquing the methodology of a nursing theory article. He can assess the validity of research and help ground your reflective essay in objective data analysis.
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Common Questions on the Circle of Caring
Q: What is the Circle of Caring model?
A: The Circle of Caring is a nursing model for advanced practice (Nurse Practitioners) developed by Dunphy, Winland-Brown, and others. It places patient-well-being at the center, surrounded by seven core virtues of nursing: Caring, Knowing, Patience, Humility, Courage, Compassion, and Advocacy.
Q: How is this model used in a reflective essay?
A: In a reflective essay, nursing students use the seven virtues as themes for analysis. You would describe a clinical experience (e.g., using Gibbs’ model) and then analyze it through the lens of the Circle of Caring. For example: ‘How did I demonstrate Courage when I advocated for my patient?’ or ‘How did a lack of Knowing impact patient care in this situation?'”
Q: What is the difference between ‘Caring’ and ‘Compassion’ in this model?
A: This is a key point of analysis. ‘Caring’ is presented as the overarching virtue and a conscious, active doing process. ‘Compassion’ is the empathetic, emotional virtue of ‘suffering with’ the patient. In short, compassion is the feeling, and caring is the action you take because of that feeling.
Q: How does the Circle of Caring relate to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)?
A: The model balances the “art” of nursing (caring, compassion) with the “science.” The virtue of ‘Knowing’ explicitly includes not just knowing the patient (personal knowledge) but also knowing the science (empirical knowledge, or EBP). A good reflective essay will discuss how an NP must use *both* to achieve patient well-being.
Master Your Nursing Theory Assignments
Applying nursing theory like the Circle of Caring is a core skill for advanced practice. This guide provides a foundation for your studies. When you need help applying these concepts to an essay, case study, or research paper, our team of experts is here to provide support.
