Nursing Competencies Needed for Electronic Advance Care Planning in Community

Advance care planning implementation occurs across the world using different legislative frameworks, different language to describe both the process and the outcome, and different models to develop these plans. Many countries are in the process of developing personally controlled electronic health records. Including advance care plans as part of this record is proposed in Australia. The Electronic Advance Care Plan (eACP) in Community project aimed to develop a model that will engage community dwelling older adults with chronic lifelimiting illnesses in the process of advance care planning that is person-centred, evidence-based and has a focus of dignity of life. A systematic review was conducted to identify models of advance care planning information sharing and to examine the nurses’ role. A realist review comprising a metasynthesis of 8 qualitative studies and 9 quantitative studies was conducted. Nursing competencies need to be developed to include the medico-legal framework around advance care plan development, as well as information technology competencies and communication competencies so that nurses around the world are better informed for end-of-life care planning and practice in a digital world. Keywordsnursing competencies, nursing model of advance care planning, elderly, community dwelling, chronic illness, electronic medical record