Development of Nurse Practitioner Competencies for Advance Care Planning

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Policy
• Gerontology

Background:

• Advance care planning is crucial for patient-centered end-of-life care.
• Nurse practitioners (NPs) are vital in facilitating advance care planning, yet its implementation remains low.
• A need exists for defined competencies to guide NP practice in advance care planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and establish consensus on core competencies for nurse practitioners (NPs) in advance care planning.
• To provide a framework for NPs to effectively integrate advance care planning into their clinical practice.
• To enhance the role of NPs in promoting advance care planning across diverse healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi method was employed to achieve consensus among NPs.
• Round 1 involved developing draft competencies based on a survey of NP knowledge, beliefs, and practice.
• Rounds 2 and 3 involved expert review, revision, and final consensus-building with 29 and 15 NPs, respectively.

Main Results:

• A consensus was reached on 4 core advance care planning competencies for NPs.
• These competencies encompass Clinical Practice, Consultation and Communication, Advocacy, and Therapeutic Management.
• Each competency is further detailed with specific elements to guide NP actions.

Conclusions:

• The developed competencies provide a clear guide for NPs to define and execute their role in advance care planning.
• These competencies can facilitate the integration of advance care planning into various healthcare systems.
• Standardized competencies will support interprofessional collaboration in advance care planning.