Purpose As the Japanese population ages and advanced medical care progresses, there is an increasing need to consider ACP for people living with chronic illnesses. Nurses assume an important role in the advancement of ACP. The purpose of this study is to clarify the opportunity to put it into practice as perceived by nurses who are providing nursing care for patients with chronic illnesses.

Methods A quantitative study design was employed using a self-administered questionnaire survey. The questionnaire consisted of one to five Likert scales, and was sent via post to 1,855 addressees including all the Certified Nurse Specialists in Japan engaged in nursing care of people with chronic illnesses. 693 nurses responded.

Results The scores were high for “Setting up a meeting as required (during hospitalization)” (4.50 ± 0.62), “Setting up a meeting as required (as an outpatient) (4.43 ± 0.69), “At the time of discharge (including the meeting to discuss treatment details with the patient and personnel involved in their treatment) (4.17 ± 0.83), and “When providing regular treatment or nursing care (during hospitalization) (4.11 ± 0.82).

Discussion The items raised as an opportunity to practice ACP, namely, “As required” and “When providing regular treatment or nursing care” are due to the characteristics of chronic illnesses, which require a long period of recuperation and carry uncertainty in the illness trajectory.