Conducting Advance Care Planning Conversations: A Clinical Workbook

Advance care planning conversations are most effective when structured and practiced. This hands-on workbook walks you through scripts, templates, and case-based practice that build conversation skills. By the end of this course you will have a set of structured conversation scripts for different ACP stages, a values clarification template, a surrogate decision-maker conversation guide, a documentation template, and a follow-up plan template. What you will learn: - How to assess patient readiness for ACP conversations - How to structure an introductory ACP conversation including framing and explanation - How to facilitate values clarification including questions about quality of life - How to involve surrogate decision-makers in ACP discussions - How to discuss specific scenarios including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intubation, and artificial nutrition - How to document ACP discussions in a way that supports continuity across settings - How to schedule follow-up and revisit conversations The course is structured as a workbook. Each module covers one conversation area, provides scripts and templates, walks through a filled example, and guides you to complete your own version. This course is written for clinicians, nurses, social workers, and other care team members who conduct ACP discussions. It does not replace agency-specific training. By the end you will have a structured personal toolkit for conducting ACP conversations and documenting them effectively.