The model is based upon five assumptions: 1) Patients are biological, social, and spiritual entities who present at a particular developmental stage, 2) The patient, family, and community all contribute to the context for the nurse-patient relationship, 3) Patients are described by 8 characteristics that are connected and contribute to each other without one being viewed in isolation, 4) Nurses can be described on a number of interrelated dimensions, and 5) A goal of nursing is to restore a patient to an optimal level of wellness and to support death as an acceptable outcome.

Each patient brings a unique set of characteristics to the health care situation. Among many characteristics that are present, eight are consistently seen in patients. These eight characteristics are resiliency, vulnerability, stability complexity, resource availability, participation in care, participation in decisions making, and predictability.

The nurse characteristics include eight competencies that reflect an integration of knowledge, skills, and experience of the nurse. The competencies include: clinical judgment, advocacy, caring practices, systems thinking, facilitation of learning, collaboration, response to diversity, and clinical inquiry.