The circle of caring model: medication adherence in cardiac transplant patients.

This column employs a case study approach to examine the application of the circle of caring model in actual nursing practice as it pertains to a medication education teaching plan for a cardiac transplant patient. The circle of caring model is applied by experienced registered nurses. The tailored medication education plan is based on the patient's conceptualized database, understanding patient responses, using a holistic/broadened approach to therapeutics, and considering the patient's views of outcomes. Individualized teaching plans improve patient adherence to complicated medication regimens, thus improving long-term quality of life and survival in transplant recipients.