• Barbara Anderson Head, Mi-Kyung Song, Clareen Wiencek, Brenda Nevidjon, Debbie Fraser, and Polly Mazanec.
• Barbara Anderson Head, PhD, CHPN, ACSW, FPCN, is associate professor, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY. Mi-Kyung Song, PhD, RN, FAAN, is professor and director, Center for Nursing Excellence in Palliative Care, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Clareen Wiencek, PhD, ACNP-C, ACHPN, is associate professor, University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville; and immediate past-president, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Brenda Nevidjon, MSN, RN, FAAN, is chief executive officer, Oncology Nursing Society, Pittsburgh PA. Debbie Fraser, MN, RNC-NIC, is associate professor, Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada; and Academy of Neonatal Nursing, Petaluma, CA. Polly Mazanec, PhD, ACNP-C, AOCN, ACHPN, FPCN, is research assistant professor, FPB School of Nursing, Cleveland, OH.
• J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2018 Feb 1; 20 (1): 23-29.

AbstractAdvance care planning (ACP) is an essential component of quality palliative care that requires expert communication skills. Nurses are often the health care provider patients and families rely on when exploring their values and preferences and making treatment decisions. Therefore, communication and ACP was one of the 3 areas of practice addressed during the Palliative Nursing Summit. This article summarizes patient outcomes and nursing actions recommended by summit participants related to communication and ACP. Areas addressed included education, clinical care, research, and policy/regulation. Recommended patient outcomes included the honoring of patient/family preferences and the inclusion of ACP discussions during routine care and across the life span. Recommended nursing actions included the following: (1) nursing education (both undergraduates and practicing nurses) and competencies related to communication and ACP be developed and implemented; (2) primary palliative care, including communication and ACP, be included in the practice standards of all nursing specialties; (3) health care systems support conversations about ACP and related documentation; (4) research be conducted related to the implementation of patient/family preferences and related health care utilization; and (5) regulation and reimbursement be crafted to support nursing practice related to ACP and related conversations at the nurses' full level of expertise.

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