Assessing Health-Related Values: Imperative for Person-Centered Care

Person-centered care, a gold standard in serious illness care and palliative care, emphasizes the importance of understanding a patient's personhood and values. Nurses are uniquely suited to provide high-quality, person-centered care and to support patients as they communicate their worries, goals, hopes for the future, and sources of support. By assessing and understanding an individual's health-related values, nurses are better able to complete their nursing responsibilities, advocate for their patients, and confidently encourage shared decision-making. Nurses have strong communication skills but may benefit from additional education to develop the interpersonal skills needed to empathically explore patients' health-related values.