Talking with the patient

How to talk about goals of care and advance directives

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Talking about goals early lets care match what matters most to the patient. These talks are easier before a crisis.

Step by step

  1. Prepare

    Review the illness and likely course, and ask who the patient wants in the room. [1]

  2. Ask what they understand

    Ask how they see their illness and what they expect in the future. [1]

  3. Explore values and fears

    Ask what matters most, what they fear and which abilities are so important they cannot imagine living without them. [1]

  4. Share information honestly

    Explain the likely course in plain words, leaving room for hope and uncertainty. [2]

  5. Make a recommendation

    Link treatment options, such as CPR or intensive care, to the goals they named. [1]

  6. Name a health care proxy

    Ask who should decide if they cannot. Encourage a written advance directive. [1]

  7. Document and share

    Record the goals, code status and proxy, and complete a POLST form when appropriate. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

VMS cases that train this skill

Sources

  1. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  2. AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back)

Facts and steps follow AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs); AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.