Genetic and Genomic Nursing Competencies Endorsed by Nursing Organizations
--New Document Prepares the Nursing Workforce to Deliver Competent Care in the Genomic Era of Healthcare--
Silver Spring, MD - The American Nurses Association, the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.9 million registered nurses, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Cancer Institute, and the Office of Rare Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, have partnered to host a consensus panel of key experts and representatives of organizations to delineate essential genetic and genomic competencies for all registered nurses, regardless of academic preparation, practice setting, or specialty.
The organizations will meet again on October 23-24, 2006 at the American Nurses Association Headquarters to establish consensus on a strategic plan that will ensure that the United States nursing workforce is prepared to integrate clinical advances in genetics and genomics into healthcare as indicated by their practice. Stakeholders from educational institutions, professional associations, certifying bodies and regulatory agencies will also hear about the latest progress in genetics and genomics and report on their organizations current activities related to preparing their constituency in genetics and genomics.
"Genomic competencies are absolutely crucial for nursing practice because essentially all diseases and conditions have a genetic or genomic component," said President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. "ANA is extremely honored to play a role in the development of curricula guidelines for all registered nurses and believes these competencies must be integrated into the Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, established by ANA in 2004, to promote competent nursing care as genetic and genomic science redefine healthcare."
Jean F. Jenkins, PhD, RN, FAAN of the National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH and co-chair to the project's Steering Committee adds, "As the understanding of the continuum of human health and illness evolves, it is imperative to incorporate the genetic and genomic perspective into all nursing education practice and quality outcome measures. ANA has been especially instrumental in logistically supporting the development of these guidelines, and we are excited to provide all registered nurses with this vital information."
The Genetic and Genomic Competencies document is currently available at www.nursingworld.org/ethics/genetics and www.genome.gov/17517037, or a hard copy may be obtained by request from NHGRI, NIH Bldg. 31 Rm. 4B09, Bethesda, MD 20892-2152. The document was created by a group of nurse leaders based on the review of earlier peer-reviewed published work reporting practice-based genetic and genomic competencies, guidelines, and recommendations. In January 2005, these competencies were reviewed and revised by nurse representatives to the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG) followed by the solicitation of public comment from the nursing community at large before being approved at a September 2005 Consensus Meeting. The Essential Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines for Genetics and Genomics have been endorsed by 47 representative nursing organizations.
For more information, please contact Laurie Badzek, MS, RN, JD, LLM, Director of the Center for Ethics and Human Rights, American Nurses Association at (301) 628-5054, email: laurie.badzek@ana.org or Dr. Jean Jenkins, Senior Clinical Advisor, NHGRI, NIH at (301) 496-4601, email: jenkinje@mail.nih.gov.
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The ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.9 million registered nurses through its 54 constituent member nurses associations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
The National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, supports the development of resources and technology that will accelerate genome research and its application to human health. A critical part of the NHGRI mission continues to be the study of the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genome research. NHGRI also supports the training of investigators and the dissemination of genome information to the public and to health professionals.