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Purpose: To describe the development and process of consensus used to establish essential genetic and genomic nursing competencies relevant to the entire nursing profession in the United States (US) regardless of academic preparation, role, practice setting, or clinical specialty.
Organizing Construct: Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory applied to the adoption of genetics and genomics as the central science for health care.
Methods: Multiphased national nursing initiative to develop, refine, and establish with consensus essential competencies in genetics and genomics for all nurses.
Findings: Genetics and genomics have emerged as the central science for health care in the 21st century, transforming recommendations for nursing education, practice, regulation and quality control.
Conclusion: The Essential Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines for Genetics and Genomics indicate the minimal criteria for competency in genetics and genomics for the entire nursing profession in the US.
JOURNAL OF NURSINO SCHOLARSHIP, 2007; 39:1,10-10. ©2007 SIGMA THETA TAU INTERNATIONAL.
[Key words: competencies, genetics, genomics, nursing education]
The elucidation of the genetic and genomic basis of health and illness has been the catalyst for unprecedented progress in scientific and clinical research in the past decade (Collins, Green, Guttmacher, Guyer, 2003; International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, 2004). Collins noted that the human genome can be a book with many uses. "It's a history book: a narrative of the journey of our species through time. It's a shop manual, with an incredibly detailed blueprint for building every human cell. And it's a transformative book of medicine, with insights that will give healthcare providers immense new powers to treat, prevent, and cure disease" (Collins, 2006, p.l).
Remarkably this scientific progress is not limited to understanding a single condition or conditions, but has led to expanded care options across the entire spectrum of healthcare. Most health conditions have been identified as having a genetic or genomic component that is influenced by environmental, lifestyle, and other factors (Guttmacher 8c Collins, 2003). When synthesizing the emerging evidence, genetics and genomics redefines traditional health and illness approaches, and genomics has become the central science for all health professionals in the 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to describe the first step to address the challenge of preparing the nursing workforce for this 21st century care model integrating genetics and...