This course provides healthcare professionals with a focused overview of advance care planning tools that support patient autonomy and ethical decision‑making across care settings. Content includes advance directives, out‑of‑hospital Do‑Not‑Resuscitate (DNR) orders, medical powers of attorney, surrogate decision‑making, and selected additional provisions affecting end‑of‑life care.

Participants will gain practical knowledge to recognize valid documents, understand their clinical application, and appropriately identify decision‑makers when patients lack decisional capacity. Emphasis is placed on aligning care with patient wishes while supporting legal and regulatory compliance in inpatient, outpatient, and community environments.

Objectives: By the end of this session nurses will be able to:

• Understand the legalities of medical record usage
• Apply Standards of Nursing Practice in reporting and documentation
• Recognize and prevent biased documentation (i.e. language, assumptions and labeling)
• Understand how biased documentation can negatively influence patience care
• Describe the purpose and protections of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (2005)

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Learning Outcomes:

• Upon completion of this session, ≥80% of participants, will self-report increase knowledge in recognizing valid advance care planning documents, applying them in clinical practice, and identifying appropriate decision-makers for patients lacking decisional capacity, as measured by post-activity evaluation.