Nurses are responsible for assisting patients in end-of-life decision-making and goals of care conversations. However, opportunities for undergraduate nursing students to develop competency in advance care planning (ACP) are lacking. An interactive learning activity was created for sophomore-level students to explore ACP. Students completed an ACP knowledge assessment and then viewed a video detailing the case of Terri Schiavo, followed by guided discussion, allowing students to debate perspectives on the case and faculty to highlight important ethical and legal considerations. Next, students were given a series of questions encouraging them to think about and share their end-of-life wishes and fears, followed by faculty-facilitated debriefing. Students subsequently evaluated and compared state advance directive forms. After sharing stories from The Conversation Project,1 faculty facilitated further dialogue and encouraged students to have an ACP conversation with family or friends. Although students shared that ACP was an unexpected and difficult topic to think about, most recognized its importance, shared personal and cultural insights, and were motivated to start a conversation with loved ones. This activity enabled students to examine ACP in a safe environment and develop foundational abilities which they can build upon in future clinical experiences.

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