Abstract

The Crescent of Care nursing model is derived from an ethnographic study of the health beliefs and care meanings of Arab Muslim nurses caring for Arab Muslim patients in the Middle East region. This paper presents a detailed explanation of the model as a holistic approach to the spiritual, cultural, psychosocial, interpersonal and clinical caring needs of Arab Muslims within the Middle East region. Professional nursing values are linked to this explanation and combined to create the model. At the heart of the Crescent of Care model are the patient and family as the focus of care, and the concept of shared meanings and spirituality between nurse, patient and family. These are set within a context of psychosocial, cultural, interpersonal, clinical and spiritual elements of care. As a culturally specific model for Arab Muslim populations, the model can be used to guide nurse education curricula in the Middle East region and improve the image of nursing in the Arab world. The model also serves a more general purpose in providing guidance for the care of Muslim patients in other settings.