Building Genetic Competence Through Partnerships and Interactive Models.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are increasingly using genetic-directed therapies in routine care, but evidence indicates that nurse educators lack knowledge about basic genetic concepts and related clinical implications. Educators are the key to preparing future nurses for effective practice in the genomic era, and creative approaches are needed for faculty development. METHOD: Nurse educators in academic and clinical settings partnered with science educators who use sophisticated DNA, RNA, and protein models to explore ways to teach abstract genetic concepts. RESULTS: Hands-on learning enabled the workshop participants to understand how transcription of gene mutations leads to the translation of defective proteins responsible for specific diseases. Participants found using the models helped clarified complex concepts that occur at the cellular level. CONCLUSION: Partnerships with science educators can address gaps in nurse educators' knowledge about genetics and introduce creative teaching strategies. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(5):300-303.].

Nursing advocacy in a postgenomic age.

The Human Genome Project will change how health is defined and how disease is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. As the largest group of health care providers in contact with patients, nurses need to be competent in the science of genetics. Beyond this, nurses need to understand the complexities that arise in genomic health care. Ethical, legal, and social issues are integral to the delivery of genomic health care, and nurses must have an astute understanding of such complexities. What it means to know, to reason, and to act in this postgenomic age is explored.

The interface of genomic technologies and nursing.

PURPOSES: (a) to summarize views of the interface of technology, genomic technology, and nursing; (b) provide an overview of current and emerging genomic technologies; (c) present clinical exemplars of uses of genomic technology in two disease conditions; and (d) list genomic-focused nursing research on genomic technologies. ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK: A discussion of genomic technology in the context of nurses' views of technology, the importance of genomic technology for nurses, linking the central dogma of molecular biology to state-of-the-art tests and assays, and nurses' current use of technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Human genome discoveries will continue to be an integral part of disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management. These discoveries also have the potential for being integrated into nursing science. Genomic technologies are becoming a driving force in patient management, so that nurses will be unable to provide quality care without knowledge of the types of genomic technologies, the rationale for their use, and the possible sequelae that can result from genetic diagnosis or treatment. Many nurses already are using genomic technologies to conduct genomic-focused nursing research. The biobehavioral nature of much of this research further indicates the important contributions of nurses in genomics.

Genetics and kidney dysfunction.

Genomic clinical practice and research are playing key roles in the treatment of patients with kidney dysfunction. The focus of this brief report is to update the practitioner on key genetic terminology needed to understand and translate genetic information to nephrology patients, identify genetic mutations that can lead to kidney failure, and summarize new genetic technologies that are transitioning from research into practice.

An ethical assessment framework for addressing global genetic issues in clinical practice.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe the perceptions of nurses regarding the importance of each action skill listed in the Ethical Assessment Framework (EAF) to their ethical decision-making process and how prepared they were to undertake each action when confronted by moral dilemmas in clinical practice, and to identify general genetic ethical issues of concern and frequency encountered. DESIGN: Descriptive, exploratory. SAMPLE AND SETTINGS: Members of the Oncology Nursing Society's Cancer Genetics Special Interest Group (n = 34) and the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (n = 101). METHODS: Participants completed the Ethical Assessment Skills Survey and Genetic Ethical Issues Survey. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Perceptions of level of importance and preparation for each action skill in the EAF and level of concern and frequency encountered regarding ethical issues in clinical practice. FINDINGS: Each ethical action skill listed in the EAF was rated as important to the ethical decision-making process, although minimal skill level was reported in 60% of the steps. Nurses reported major concerns about the frequently encountered issues of confidentiality, managed care, and informed consent. CONCLUSIONS: The EAF proposes action skills that can assist nurses in developing expertise in ethical decision making and offers a model for addressing genetic ethical issues in clinical practice. Protection of patient confidentiality was the number one ethical concern of nurses surveyed. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses are challenged to have comprehensive and current genetic knowledge, which is necessary to advocate for, educate, counsel, and support patients and families confronting difficult genetic healthcare decisions. Nurses will be able to effectively translate genetic information to patients by developing and using ethical decision-making and counseling skills. Effective measures to protect confidentiality of patient data are important to ensure that genetic information is safeguarded.

The Human Genome Project: ethical and legal considerations for neuroscience nurses.

The Human Genome Project has nearly completed the identification of the human genome. The medical, social, and legal implications are numerous. Neuroscience nurses have the unique opportunity to be an integral part of the genetics age because of the many genetic-based neuroscience diseases.